Santa Fe Holiday Tradition Continues with Nine Performances of the Desert Chorale’s 2021 Winter Festival, Nochebuena, Conducted by Artistic Director Joshua Habermann
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 10, 2021: The Santa Fe Desert Chorale (SFDC) today announced programming details for the return of the Chorale’s traditional Winter Festival. Following their virtual Home for the Holidays concert, presented amidst the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Chorale is thrilled to once again offer their full Winter concert program, Nochebuena, running December 11-22, 2021. In this program, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale builds on its long-standing commitment to music by Hispanic composers. The rich tapestry of our New Mexico heritage informs this seasonal celebration with new works as well as beloved carols from Spanish and Anglo traditions. With performances in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe, this is a holiday tradition not to be missed!
Dates and Locations for Nochebuena in December 2021:
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 1pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
131 Cathedral Place, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 4pm
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
114 Carlisle Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 7:30pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Friday, December 17, 2021 at 7:30pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 7:30pm
Cristo Rey Catholic Church
1120 Canyon Rd Santa Fe, NM 87501
Sunday December 19, 2021 at 4pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Sunday December 19, 2021 at 7:30pm
Sponsored by Carmen Paradis in honor of Hazel Aker
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 7:30pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at 7:30pm
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
The artist roster for this program, including biographies and headshots, will be available on the Santa Fe Desert Chorale website (desertchorale.org) this fall.
Tickets: Tickets will go on sale to the general public on September 22nd, ranging from $22-100. Discounted tickets for students will be available. For more information, visit desertchorale.org/tickets or call the Box Office at (505) 988-2282.
Media Contacts: For additional information, please contact Joanna Armstrong by email at joanna@desertchorale.org. For digital content, please contact Enrico Lagasca by email at enrico@desertchorale.org.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale thanks the following organizations for their ongoing support: The City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department, National Endowment for the Arts, New Mexico Arts, New Mexico Bank & Trust, and the Santa Fe New Mexican.
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The Vision of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale: Singing for our common humanity.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is to excite, engage, and inspire diverse audiences with the beauty and power of great choral music.
About the Santa Fe Desert Chorale: Founded in 1982 by Lawrence “Larry” Bandfield, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale is one of the longest-running professional music organizations in New Mexico, as well as one of the 3 most distinguished. In his 2020 review of the Strength and Refuge: A Joyous Exploration of the Psalms program at Highland Park United Methodist Church (Tower Arts Series), Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News remarked that, “The Santa Fe Desert Chorale [is] a top-notch, 24-voice group… comprising the crème de la crème of professional choral singers from coast to coast. The singing throughout was boldly projected, finely finished and expressed and, where necessary, quite nimble.”
Artistic Director Joshua Habermann, now in his thirteenth season, leads the Chorale in repertoire spanning seven centuries, from early polyphony to contemporary works. The composition of the Chorale is truly national in scope and the ensemble is recognized as one of the finest American chamber choirs. Approaching its 40th year, the Desert Chorale Summer Festival season is a centerpiece of the cultural life of Santa Fe, and among the nation’s most significant choral events.
The Chorale’s first commercial release, The Road Home, launched at No. 3 on the Billboard Classical Chart following a sold-out CD launch program in Santa Fe. Another recent highlight was an invitational appearance at the 2015 American Choral Directors Association National Conference, which was later broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio. In the 2017-2018 season, the Chorale presented three concerts in the Dallas area, and performed for regional ACDA conferences in Los Angeles and Chicago. In the 2018-2019 season, the Chorale toured to Dallas and presented regular winter and summer seasons in New Mexico, and in February 2020 the Chorale returned to Dallas as part of the Tower Arts Series of the Highland Park Methodist Church.
Throughout its history, the Chorale has maintained a commitment to give voice to music from Hispanic and Native American communities. Dedicated to advancing the composers of our time, the Chorale has commissioned 25 works by 21 composers; three-quarters of the composers commissioned have been American. In addition, another seven works have been given their world or American premieres by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. SFDC’s Commissioning Club selects and funds a new commission annually.
The ensemble performs at historical sites in Santa Fe such as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Cristo Rey Catholic Church, as well as other venues throughout the Southwest and across the nation. The Desert Chorale prides itself on its strong relationships within the community of Northern New Mexico, and enjoys collaborations with the Center for Contemporary Arts, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, The Jewish Film Festival, Museum of International Folk Art, and galleries throughout Santa Fe, among others.
Through its community engagement programming, the Chorale partners with other musical, artistic, social service, and educational organizations in Santa Fe and beyond. The Hearts in Harmony partnership with the Interfaith Community Shelter, now in its fourth year, is an example of the Chorale’s commitment to strengthening our community through song.
