Cantantibus Organis: A Celebration of St. Cecilia
Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 4:00pm
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Annandale
Carmina and Illuminare open their 2026–2027 season with a concert presented on St. Cecilia’s Day, the traditional feast of the patron saint of music and musicians. The program will feature motets honoring Cecilia herself, alongside music that celebrates singing, music-making, and the extraordinary human impulse to make music together. It will be a joyful opportunity to reflect on why we sing, and why music has held such a powerful place in our lives for centuries.
Holiday “Lobbying” at the Willard
Wednesday, December 16, 2026 at 6:00pm, repeated at 7:15pm
Willard InterContinental Washington Hotel
1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Metro: Federal Triangle
Free admission • Valet parking • Limited seating
Ring in the season in the gorgeously decorated lobby of the historic Willard Hotel — the very space where “lobbying” got its name! Enjoy beloved traditional and early fare, including English medieval carols, Praetorius’ sublime Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen, Daniel Read’s rousing Sherburne, and much more. As always, the festivities will end with a sing-along of Franz Gruber’s own early setting of his beloved Stille Nacht (Silent Night).
Don’t miss this joyful annual event! Seating is first come, first served; there is ample standing room.
The Sound of the Middle Ages: Machaut at 650
Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 3:00pm
St. John’s Episcopal Church, McLean
The year 2027 marks the 650th anniversary of the death of Guillaume de Machaut, whose music represents one of the great achievements of fourteenth-century polyphony. At the center of our program will be Machaut’s Messe de Nostre Dame, an historically important work that is surprisingly rarely performed. Bringing this extraordinary music to life will offer us a chance to hear a pivotal moment in the history of Western music with fresh ears.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus: Music for Pentecost
Sunday, May 16, 2027 at 4:00pm
Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Alexandria
This program will explore the rich tradition of music written for this extraordinary feast day, alongside other works filled with images of fire, spirit, and renewal. From the ancient sequence Veni Sancte Spiritus to later works that evoke the tongues of flame and the descent of the Holy Spirit, this concert promises to bring the season to a vibrant and fiery conclusion.