We offer a program of Monteverdi's gloriously varied madrigals drawn chiefly from books 5, 6, and 7. Among the traditional prima prattica and new stile concertato works to be found in these volumes are the sestina "Lagrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata", Monteverdi's heartrending tribute to his wife who died in 1607; "Lamento d'Arianna", his wrenching five-voice arrangement of the famous lament from his now lost opera, L'Arianna, of 1608, and the delightful ballo "Tirsi e Clori" from 1616.

First performed on Good Friday in 1724, The Passion According to Saint John is a work full of dramatic excitement, spiritual introspection, and devotional fervor. A baroque orchestra, including some of the Bay Area's finest players, joins us for this sacred masterpiece. Soloists include tenor Brian Staufenbiel as the Evangelist, who narrates the story of the betrayal, suffering and crucifixion, and baritone Scott Graf in the role of Jesus. Bach's choral writing is thrilling, with the gathered crowds portrayed in special turba choruses, and moments of reflection offered through Lutheran hymns.

Our season begins with the music of three great composers who lived and worked in Italy in the early eighteenth century. In Venice, Antonio Vivaldi composed music for the musicians of the Ospedale della Pietá, a famous convent, orphanage, and conservatory, while in Rome Alessandro Scarlatti and George Frideric Handel enjoyed the patronage of the papal establishment. We will perform Vivaldi's exuberant setting of "Domine ad adjuvandum me festina" for double chorus and orchestra, the deeply expressive "Magnificat primo tono" by Scarlatti, and Handel's thrilling "Dixit Dominus". Soprano soloist Rita Lilly and a baroque ensemble of strings join the 30-voice chamber choir for this concert.

The California Bach Society welcomes the holidays with a program from 17th century Northern Germany. Composers such as Heinrich Schütz and Michael Praetorius wrote for the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden, and the vibrant musical life inspired others -- Johann Hermann Schein in Leipzig and Samuel Scheidt in Halle. Performed in the order prescribed for Advent Vespers, the 30-voice chamber choir will present a richly varied program of intricate Renaissance polyphony, hymns, and splendid double choruses.