Fifteenth Season
Sacred Mysteries
Past Concerts
Jesu, Joy
Bach Cantatas 131 & 147
October 10–12, 2025
Organist and Bach expert Todd Fickley guest directs the opening concert of Three Notch’d Road’s 15th season. The program features two cantatas, the organ solo Fantasia in G, BWV 572, and the cheerful instrumental Sinfonia from BWV 29.
Cantata 147 is a mature masterwork from Bach’s late Leipzig period and includes the beloved “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” melody and festive virtuoso writing for trumpet. Cantata 131 is a setting of Psalm 130, full of pathos, and possibly the earliest cantata we have of Bach. (Pictured: Steven Marquardt, baroque trumpet)
Katelyn Grace Jackson, soprano
Kim Leeds, alto
Robert Petillo, tenor
Jared Swope, bass
Steven Marquardt, baroque trumpet
Fiona Hughes and Natalie Kress, violin
Matvey Lapin, viola
Benjamin Wyatt, cello
Sam Suggs, double bass
Gaia Saetermoe-Howard and Sarah Schilling, oboes
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Friday, October 10, 7:00pm
Saint Benedict Catholic Church, Richmond
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Saturday, October 11, 4:00pm
Christ Episcopal Church, Charlottesville -
Sunday, October 12, 4:00pm
Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton
BETHLEHEM
A Christmas Pilgrimage
January 2–4, 2026
Three Notch’d Road celebrates Christmas with Baroque carols, lullabies, and chaconnes from America, Britain, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, and the Mediterranean. The program will feature harp, lute, violin, and viola da gamba, with the duduk’s unique sound evoking the Holy Land.
In closing, Johann Philipp Krieger’s 1688 Epiphany cantata “O Jesu, du mein Leben” will usher in Twelfth Night.
Benjamin Geier, tenor
William Simms, theorbo & lute
René Schiffer, viola da gamba
Christa Patton, Italian triple harp & winds
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Friday, January 2, 7:00pm
Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton -
Saturday, January 3, 4:00pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood (Crozet) -
Sunday, January 4, 4:00pm
Grace Episcopal Church, Keswick (Charlottesville)
FLORA & FAUNA
Music in Praise of Nature
February 6–8, 2026
In the third program of its fifteenth season, Three Notch’d Road celebrates the natural world with the premiere of a commissioned setting of Hopkins’ poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Mark Nowakowski. Drawing from a broad scope of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque sources, we present our favorite texts following a theme of animals and flowers in works by Palestrina, Byrd, Biber, Billings, Hildegard of Bingen, Telemann, Schütz, and of folk origin.
Sheila Dietrich, sopranoAnne Timberlake, recorders
Peter Walker, bass & baroque guitar
Fiona Hughes, violin, soprano & artistic director
Joel VanderZee, organ & baritone
Christa Patton, Italian triple harp & winds
** Pre-concert talk by composer Mark Nowakowski 30 minutes before each concert. **
- Friday, February 6, 7:00pm
Trinity Episcopal Church, Staunton -
Saturday, February 7, 4:00pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood (Crozet) -
Sunday, February 8, 4:00pm
First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville
THE LION AND THE LAMB
Gabrieli & Schütz
April 17–19, 2026
Baroque trombonist Paul Von Hoff leads a joyful Eastertide program of early German, English, and Italian music, featuring vocal and instrumental works.
The program includes works by Giovanni Gabrieli, Heinrich Schütz, William Byrd, Josquin des Prez, Michael Praetorius, and Orlando di Lasso. Paul Von Hoff, baroque trombone & guest artistic directorSheila Dietrich, soprano
Fiona Hughes, soprano & violin
Benjamin Geier, tenor
Bill Baxtresser, cornetto
Kate Shuldiner, viola da gamba
Joel VanderZee, organ
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Friday, April 17, 7:00pm
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Staunton
**Free performance presented by St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Good will offering. -
Saturday, April 18, 4:00pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Greenwood (Crozet) -
Sunday, April 19, 4:00pm
Grace Episcopal Church, Keswick (Charlottesville)
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