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Joyeux Nöel: A Medieval Christmas in France
December 4, 2021 @ 5:00 pm
Make your holiday season festive — and French! Join the Montclair Early Music ensemble for a celebration of medieval French Christmas music.
Noted every year for their special medieval music celebration of Christmas here in Montclair, the MONTCLAIR EARLY MUSIC group will regale this year’s LIVE audience with a tour of Christmas celebrations in the provinces of France. Joyeux Nöel will feature a medieval procession with bagpipe, troubadours, juggler, dancer, and music of the French provinces performed by recorders, singers, guitarists and more.
There will be a medieval procession featuring bagpipe, juggler, dancer, troubadours, lanterns and, of course, music of the French provinces performed by recorders, singers, guitarists and more.
A narrator takes the audience to the famous “Marché de Noel” Christmas Markets for dance & juggling performances, the ancient city of Carcassonne for a lantern led procession, and Versailles where the Sun King’s musicians entertain Louis IV – each place sharing its musical treasures for the Christmas holiday in performance and audience participation. As is fitting for a French program, this celebration closes with “Joyeux Noel!”
This year’s Montclair Early Music group’s board chairman, Bernie Schoenfeld remarked: “As a result of the coronavirus pandemic our last Christmas program was in 2019, right before COVID. I am always delighted that our Christmas program is definitely not a somber affair. With a juggler, a folk tale and lively and varied music, the event is more of a happening than a standard concert. The music may be somewhat unfamiliar but it is nonetheless highly engaging, performed by devoted musicians and led by a gifted director Jason Priest, professor of music at Montclair State University.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 4th at 5:00pm
Location: St Luke’s Episcopal Church, 73 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042
Note: Attendees must be vaccinated. Proof of vaccination will be required for admittance. Masks recommended. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is a wheelchair accessible venue.
Montclair Early Music (MEM) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization comprising dedicated and professional musicians. Established in 2010 by Julienne Pape, a medieval recorder artist and teacher, the Montclair Early Music group was designed to reflect the artistic and intellectual awareness of Montclair with live performances of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music at select Montclair and Essex county locations and in Montclair’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.
Recent events include Españoleta — A Spanish Renaissance Cocktail Party, October 2, 2021 at Montclair’s Van Vleck House & Gardens; a French Masque (October 2020) in Montclair’s Avis Memorial Gardens; Christmas in Italy (December 2019), a Wassail Celebration (January 2019), Shakespeare and his music (October 2018), St. George & the Dragon (December 2017) and Robin Hood at the May Faire (May 2017).
The group also provides free and low-cost Recorder classes (live and online) for local Essex County third graders.
For more information about Montclair Early Music and upcoming events, visit www.montclairearlymusic.org.
