An Italian Baroque Christmas
Date
December 18 - 21, 2025
Location
Varies based on date.
Overview
A Sacred Soundscape for the Season
Step into a serene world of baroque beauty with Songs of the Virgin, a luminous holiday program featuring sacred works in place of festive fanfare. This concert offers a more intimate experience, where peace, reverence, and emotional depth take center stage.
Acclaimed countertenor Michael Skarke returns to Mercury with his signature clarity and grace, bringing rare intensity to music that still stirs the soul.
Let this moving program be a quiet moment of reflection during the holiday rush.
This concert is made possible in part by ConocoPhillips, Neighborhood Series Premiere Sponsor, and the Houston Endowment, the Brown Foundation, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, and by supporters like you.
Program
Maurizio Cazzati
Ciaconna (Op. 4, No. 33)
Alessandro Grandi
Salve Regina
O quam tu pulchra es
Francesco Cavalli
Canzon à 3
O quam suavis
Giovanni Battista Bassani
Suonata prima in A minor
Tarquinio Merula
Chiaccona (Book 3, Op. 12, No. 20)
Biagio Marini
Sonata sopra "Fuggi dolente core"
Andrea Falconieri
Folias echa para mi Señora Doña Tarolilla de Carallenos
Giovanni Paolo Colonna
O coeli devota (Op. 2, No. 7)
FEATURED ARTISTS
Michael Skarke, Countertenor
Jonathan Godfrey, Violin
Kana Kimura, Violin
Antoine Plante, Gamba
Héctor Torres González, Theorbo
Mario Aschauer, Organ
RUNNING TIME
1 hour, no intermission
MERCURY AT HOME
Experience a multi-camera stream of this concert from the comfort of your home. Premiering on December 19th at 6 PM and available through January 2nd, you can watch live, at your leisure, and more than once!
