June 13, 2026 at 4pm
Methodist Church
Lakeville, CT

Experience the genius of Wanda Landowska, the legendary keyboard player who brought Baroque harpsichord music back to life. Discover how the harpsichord expresses the personal and national styles of composers like François Couperin and Domenico Scarlatti, among others, all orbiting the central brilliance of Bach, as illuminated by Landowska’s pioneering artistry. Delve into her revolutionary ideas concerning musical understanding, the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, the distinctions between early and modern music, the significance of the harpsichord, and the performer-audience relationship.

Christine Gevert, harpsichord

THE B MINOR MASS – Johann Sebastian Bach as The Architect of Gratitude

Uncover the hidden secrets of J.S. Bach’s ultimate masterpiece in this captivating five-part series presented and led by Crescendo’s Founding Artistic Director Christine Gevert. Explore the political intrigue, mathematical codes, and brilliant upcycling that turned this monumental work into a bridge to eternity. Choral singers are cordially invited to participate in masterclass workshops exploring selected excerpts from the Mass in B minor.

Wednesdays, July 8 – August 5, 2026 at Saint James Place,
352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA
Talks: 2:00pm – 3:00 pm
Choral Workshops: 3:15 pm – 5:00pm
July 8 & 15 – Great Hall

Registration:
$100 All Five Choral Workshops
$150 All Five Choral Workshops & Talks
$25 Single Workshop Session
$100 All five Talks (includes auditing the masterclass workshops)
$25 Single Talk

Scholarships available upon request.

Program:

Talk 1: The “Missa” as a Career Move
Talk 2: The Art of the “Upcycle” (Parody Technique)
Talk 3: The “Symbolum Nicenum” (The Credo)
Talk 4: Styles in Collision (From Renaissance to Galant)
Talk 5: The Final Folder (Sanctus / Agnus Dei) and the Quest for Peace

Choral Singers Workshop 1: Kyrie
Choral Singers Workshop 2: Gloria
Choral Singers Workshop 3: Credo (part 1)
Choral Singers Workshop 4: Credo (part 2)
Choral Singers Workshop 5: Sanctus – Osanna – Dona nobis

Fall 2026 – Baroque Oratorio

Two Masters, One Myth: Bach, Handel, and the Crossroads of Virtue
J.S. Bach – Hercules at the Crossroads BWV 213 and G.F. Handel – The Choice of Hercules HWV 69
With Crescendo Period Instrument Orchestra

December 2026 – Holiday

The Gathering Manger: A Winter Celebration of Voices and Woodwinds
Classic English Carols, and Respighi’s Lauda per la Natività del Signore (1930)
With an ensemble of woodwinds, and piano

Spring 2027 – ‘World Music’

Across the Meridian: A Journey from English Hills to Latin American Skies
Choral Works by British & Irish Composers: C.V. Stanford, H. Balfour Gardiner, C. Wood, C. Lambert, A. Sullivan;  and Latin American Composers: C Guastavino (Argentina), A. Estévez (Venezuela), M. Matamoros (Cuba), M. Leite (Brazil), J.A. Rincón (Colombia). With a small instrumental ensemble of traditional and Latin American instruments

All programs are directed by Crescendo’s Founding Artistic Director, Christine Gevert. Rehearsals take place in Lakeville/Salisbury, CT.

Virtual Concerts On-Demand NOW

Recorded: May 11, 2025
Body & Soul: Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione

Recorded: December 29, 2024 
Bach-Circle: Christmas Oratorios and Contemporary Female Voices

Recorded: October 6, 2024
Nature in Vivaldi’s Sounds: Concertos for Violin, Flute, and Two Mandolins

These concerts have been made possible in part with support from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.