Welcome to our December Newsletter!
It is hard to believe 2023 is swiftly drawing to a close, but despite the short days and long nights, we wish you a holiday season both merry and bright!
Tendrils of the Soul Round-up
Sarasa enjoyed a wonderful weekend of concerts in November, kicking off the official start of our 25th Anniversary. The special program, highlighting masters of the First Viennese School with works by Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, brought capacity audiences to their feet. Of note, this season we have returned to Friends Meeting House in Cambridge, where the very first public concerts by Sarasa took place; some of the audience members on November 19th had also been at the first concert back in 1997! We are grateful for all of your support and loyalty over these years! There is still time to enjoy this beautiful chamber music program, filmed live in Cambridge. Click here or below to watch for a limited time. Some reactions: “Enthralling!” “I never wanted it to end!” “Thank you for making this possible!"
This free stream is available now for a limited time!
outreach post
In addition to our rehearsals and concerts in November, Sarasa visited two programs at a teenage detention center in Westborough, MA. We performed excerpts from the program, and while the young men of the two units exhibited very different energies (one very boisterous and the other much more subdued), they all felt the power of the music. Nowhere is it more evident how music overcomes all sorts of barriers.
One of the teens, Blessing, read his poem about gun violence with Sarasa performing Beethoven’s Cavatina from his late string quartet, Op. 130 in the background. You could see from his facial expressions how he started to feel the music’s ability to transform the way he delivered his poetry. It was very moving. There were 7-8 staff members listening to us as well, many more than required. Our presentations are a novelty to them, and they too are curious about the music we play.
up next:
In January 2024, we will shift from the Viennese salon of Schubert’s world to a Parisian one from 18th-century France, catching the new wave of talent by the likes of Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, François Couperin, Mondonville, Blavet and Telemann. We are especially delighted to welcome the British baroque flutist, Ashley Solomon, to join us for this program. You can read more about Ashley below!
Sarasa in Conversation with Ashley Solomon
Read our interview with Ashley and his bio below!
Recipe for the Holidays
We all have different traditions we follow for the winter holiday season, but there is nothing quite like a good potato latke!
5 potatoes
1 onion
2 eggs
1/4 cup bread crumbs, matzah or flour
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
sour cream
dill or chives to garnish
Peel and finely grate the potatoes. Grate one peeled onion. Place in a cloth and squeeze out any excess liquid or by pressing them with your hands in a colander.
Beat the eggs lightly with salt, add to the potatoes & onion, freshly ground pepper, bread crumbs, and stir well. Film the bottom of a frying pan with oil and heat. Take serving-spoonfuls, or as much as 1/4 cup, of the mixture and drop into the hot oil. Flatten a little, and lower the heat so that the fritters cook through evenly. When one side is golden brown, turn over and repeat (3-4 minutes a side). Blot excess oil with paper towels, and serve warm with your favourite topping (perhaps a dollop of sour cream, and herbs as a garnish).
listening corner: one for the ages
It is amazing to think how The Beatles continue to have such an impact on our contemporary world, despite the fact they have not performed together since 1970 and two members are no longer with us. We at Sarasa have performed a few of their songs as encores in recent years. Their final single, “Now and Then," which recently premiered on November 3, 2023, is yet another reminder of their incredible genius: as a group of four unmatched creative musicians, full of humour, talent, innovation, and humanity.
Then…
And now…
