The Saint Vincent Camerata will celebrate the upcoming holiday season with its annual Christmas Concerts on Friday and Saturday, December 5 and 6, at 8 p.m. in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Latrobe.

With its new Director, Fr. Stephen Concordia, O.S.B., the Camerata will present “Music for the Day of Christmas” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina as well as other popular and traditional a cappella Sacred Music from around the world. Toward the end of his life, Palestrina published an entire Mass based on his own most beloved Christmas motet, “Dies Sanctificatus” to celebrate the “Sanctified Day” of Christmas. The Camerata will offer this rarely performed masterpiece, together with a varied program of Gregorian Chants, Renaissance “laudi” from Rome and Florence, songs from the “Niños Cantores” of Colima, Mexico, and more.

Members of the Saint Vincent Camerata are sopranos Marjorie Barish, Cathy Kunkle and Lindsey Schecter; altos Mary Ann Baldwin, Roberta Borgo, and Dee Mazurek; tenors William Appel, James Materkowski and John Szalewicz; and basses Charles Affholter, Luis Alvarez, Tom Trofino and Reno Vitale.

Fr. Stephen Concordia, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk and priest of Saint Vincent Archabbey, is Assistant Professor of Music in the Fine Arts Department of Saint Vincent College. He also directs the Saint Vincent College Choir and the Archabbey’s Gregorian Schola, which sings Sunday mornings in the Basilica. He holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, and from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Rome.

Tickets, general admission only, for the Camerata Christmas Concerts are $20 each, and $15 each for groups of ten or more. Call 724.805.2579 to purchase tickets or for more information. MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted. Ticket revenues support the Fine Arts programs of Saint Vincent College.

Return to News Releases