World & Early Music at Saint James

Our 2025 - 2026 Season

Dear Friends and Benefactors of World & Early Music,

Nancy and I are excited to announce that we will be focusing our efforts on a new concert series that will be more fully integrated into the events at Saint James. This initiative will be part of our Arts and Interfaith Contemplative Spirituality platform, known as the Urban Well.

The challenges we have faced over the past several years with our annual concert series include internal scheduling conflicts, as well as declining attendance at concerts. Moving forward, we envision a more cohesive approach to programming that celebrates the cultural richness of World and Early Music while nurturing new generations of musicians and fostering even richer cross-cultural encounters. This was accomplished successfully with the Eurasian Consort and the fine art exhibition that followed in the Rectory, and with the Rahim AlHaj Trio dinner and concert.

We are committed to bringing both world-class and local performers and ensembles to our events, not only for concerts, which will remain a primary and traditional aspect of our programming, but also to highlight the spiritual and cultural significance of music by including options for retreats, workshops, shared meals and community engagement. It is essential to understand why these expressions of music and art are so significant to the spiritual fabric of our lives and the world; we stand to lose a great deal by neglecting them.

We extend our profound thanks to the individuals and households who have already made their annual contribution to support this program. We look forward to working with you to ensure that the programming for the 2025 - 2026 year meets your expectations. Others, upon reading this letter, may feel encouraged to continue or begin a long-term association and patronage of this ministry. If you are willing to contribute your time, talent or financial support to this endeavor, we would greatly appreciate it. Please let us know if you're interested in supporting us! We’ve enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience.

Sincerely,
The Rev. David W. Peck+, Rector of Saint James
Nancy LeVasseur, Director of Communications, Concerts and Events

 

About World & Early Music at Saint James

World & Early Music at Saint James is a sought-after venue in the historic performance genre. Each season, concerts of music composed before 1800 are presented in the acoustically rich sanctuary of Saint James Church. The performances of primarily Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music are played on faithful reproductions of period instruments. The series offers a venue for small and/or emerging ensembles and established artists, presenting a rich music repertoire not generally available to the Lancaster community. We are excited to share with our patrons that our programming has expanded to include ancient-world music.

World & Early Music is a self-sustaining concert series that relies on ticket sales, tax-exempt gifts, grants and sponsorships. If you'd like to help support World & Early Music, click here and select World & Early Music from the drop-down menu. You may also include a note in the optional memo field.

Available in person and via livestream

Tickets:
Adult: $25
Student: $10
Cash, check or charge at the door

All concerts are being recorded and will be available to ticket holders for 6 months after the concert.

Sarah Mead, Wendy Gillespie, Julie Jeffrey, Joanna Blendulf, Emily Walhout

Sunday March 19, 2023; 4 PM | Available online and in person

Nota Bene, Viol Consort

Continental Drifters

In the 16th century, as trade routes opened across the European continent and pushed over mountains and across oceans into Asia and the Americas, the printing press helped to accelerate the dissemination of music. Singers and players traveled with their patrons, taking their native music to distant lands.

Nota Bene explores these journeys with a range of musical voyages: across the Continent, across the Channel, across the Alps, and further afield, including music that traveled from Portugal to Japanese missions, from France to indigenous villages in Guatemala, from Spain to the great churches of Mexico, and from England to the colonial settlements of North America. Nota Bene performs on a matched set of viols that closely replicate Italian instruments of the 1580's, with a rich and mellow sound full of detail and sonority.

Purchase Tickets for Nota Bene