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21
SATURDAY
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was to the Baroque music masters what the Sugarhill Gang is to Snoop Dogg. Way before Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s sublime choral cantatas, there was the art of counterpoint, a form of musical composition that creates harmony based on the subtle interaction of many voices. No single voice sings the melody line, which is instead traded equally among all parts. Counterpoint’s effect is one of calm beauty and almost mathematical precision. Palestrina, who lived in the late 1500s, was the original master of this style, and it’s safe to say that most choral music composed later owes him a nod or two. Come check it out yourself as the 18-voice Palestrina Choir leads you on a journey through “Sacred Music From Centuries’ End.” The program features works by Palestrina, Purcell, Brahms, and local composers Douglas Major, Leo Nestor, and Palestrina Choir director Michael Harrison. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2430 K St. NW. $15. (703) 519-1961. (Amy Domingues)