The 23/24 Concert Season
The Fifth Anniversary Season
Upcoming Events
A French Baroque Christmas (December 2023)
Holiday Concert
7:30 | Thursday, December 7 | First Lutheran Church, St Peter
7:30 | Saturday, December 9 | Church of the Assumption, St Paul
A Christmas tradition centuries in the making
Experience the beauty of the season with a selection of works written for Christmas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The concert centers on Charpentier’s Pastorale sur la Naissance de nostre Jesus Christ (“Pastoral on the birth of Christ”), one of the most captivating and imaginative examples of sacred French-language Baroque drama.
From shepherds and recorders to famous French noëls you can join us in singing, you’ll surely be transfixed by everything this concert has to offer.
Holy Week in France (February 2024)
Regular Season Concert 3
7:30 | Thursday, February 22 | Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New Ulm
7:30 | Saturday, February 24 | Holy Cross Catholic Church, Minneapolis
A meditative evening experiencing ancient traditions
Celebrated in almost every Christian denomination throughout the world, the Tenebrae Office, so called because of the continuous extinguishing of candles, was one of the most powerful moments of devotion for Christians for centuries.
In this meditative and moving program, we’ll explore the exquisite music used in France in the mid-1600s. With a mixture of instrumental and vocal music, Gregorian chants, and readings from the Liturgy, we will explore what such a service may have been like over 350 years ago.
Supper & Songs (May 2024)
Regular Season Concert 4
7:00 | Thursday, May 23 | Arlington Haus Too, Arlington
7:00 | Friday, May 24 | Black Forest Inn, Minneapolis
An evening of food, friends, and entertainment
La Grande Bande’s 5th Anniversary Season concludes with our much-beloved “Dine Out” concert experience. On the program are cantatas and concertos by some of the most famous composers of the late-Baroque.
Two cantatas by congratulate a new tax official (Bach) and celebrate the joy of a great night’s sleep (Handel). Filling out the evening are concertos featuring the virtuosos of La Grande Bande.
We hope you join us for a special evening of delicious food, great songs, and the continuation of a beloved tradition.
* Please note the change in venue for this event.
Past Events
French Music for Harpsichord (November 2023)
Regular Season Concert 2
7:30 | Friday, November 17 | First Lutheran Church, Winthrop*
7:30 | Saturday, November 18 | Olivet Congregational Church, St Paul
Music from the harpsichord’s golden age
The music written by the French clavecinistes had a profound impact on Europe as French music and culture was disseminated throughout Europe. The music of Johann Sebastian Bach, for example, is infused with French influences from style brisé and the French Ouverture to the courtly dances made indispensable by the Bourbon court.
La Grande Bande’s Music & Artistic Director, Michael Thomas Asmus, will present an intimate concert featuring music by some of the French Baroque’s most influential composers. Join us in celebrating the past five years as we look ahead to the years ahead.
A King's Entertainments (September 2023)
Regular Season Concert 1
7:30 | Thursday, September 21 | First Lutheran Church, Winthrop
7:30 | Friday, September 22 | Olivet Congregational Church, St Paul
A night of music fit for a king
La Grande Bande’s 5th Anniversary Season, and our “French Baroque season,” begins with a wonderful selection of French Baroque music for violins. Join us for a look back at La Grande Bande’s very first regular season concert from September 2019.
Among the composers on the program is Jean-François Dandrieu, a composer and organist lauded by his contemporaries. After his death, his music fell into obscurity. Combining an Italianate compositional style with French flavor, Dandrieu’s trio sonata is sure to remind you of Corelli and Handel.
La Grande Bande is pleased to be joined by our newest member, the Netherlands-based and American violinist Chloe Prendergast.