BAREFOOT’S 15TH SEASON, 2025-2026 In Brief:

All the concerts except 10/17 are on Fridays in the Parish Hall of Saint Mary Magdalen Church, 2005 Berryman, Berkeley,at 6.30

This Barefoot season is simply a collection of the kind of concerts you liked best. Our Bach experts return with more Bach; the All-Star viol consort returns with Gibbons; there is French viol music with theorbo; BerTaMo return with (added violin) playing German music; also a great new consort of viols with a local singer legend; and more of the French chamber music with violin, viol and harpsichord. Just the best music in the right place at the right time.

Here’s the skinny (mark your calendars):

September 26, 2025 : Local ‘cello icon William Skeen plays more Bach suites. This time, the three suites he didn’t play last time: 1007, 1011, and 1012.

October 17, 2025 (NB this concert is,unusually, at 7 pm in the church itself): A lovely program of consort songs and instrumental music by the fabulous Rita Lilly with a new and dynamic new consort of local viol heroes: Erik Andersen, Marie Dalby Szuts, David Miller, and Tobi Szuts.

November 21, 2025:  Gorgeous French Music from the early 18th century: Two of Rameau‘s celebrated “Piéces de Clavecin En Concerts”, some Forqueray for viol, and some virtuosic violin music. Cynthia Keiko Black, Peter Hallifax and Katherine Heater.

January 9, 2026: The Celebrated Barefoot All-Stars return to play their annual Winter Concert of viol consort music, this time with music by the great Orlando Gibbons, including the rarely performed consorts that feature a Great Bass Viol. Wendy Gillespie, Peter Hallifax, Julie Jeffrey, Shira Kammen, David Morris, Lynn Tetenbaum, (viols) .

January 30, 2026: The iconic Elizabeth Blumenstock and harpsichord guru Corey Jameson return to play Bach sonatas for violin and harpsichord (and solo music by Bach for violin and for harpsichord). Again, the sonatas you didn’t hear last time.

March 20 20256:  BerTaMo (Letitia Berlin, recorders: David Morris, viols; and Yuko Tanaka, harpsichord) come back to Barefoot to play jewels of German baroque repertoire music assisted by the fabulous guest violinist Cynthia Keiko Black.

April 10 2026: The Barefoot House Band, Hallifax & Jeffrey, finish up the year with a concert of French music for viols with theorbo wizard John Lenti. Music by Marais, Sainte-Colombe, de Visée and the ever-mysterious Anonymous. Quintessential Barefoot Fun, what more could you want?