2025-2026 Season
Of Love, Loss & Longing
East & West, 12th - 19th C.
Saturday, June 13, 2026, 7:30 pm
St. John the Apostle, 88 Patrick Street
Melos explores great poetic and musical traditions of Europe, Persia, Syria and Al-Andalus, showing the power of love and the pain of its loss. Music of Isaac, Monteverdi, Ibn Al Khatib, Darwish and more.
With guests: Sadaf Amini, Santur; Arzhang Rafii, Tar; and Aram Abou Zainedin, Darbuka.
The Pow'r of Musicke
St. Cecilia in England
Works of Handel and Purcell
November 15, 2025, 7:30 PM
St. George's Cathedral, 270 King St. E., Kingston
Melos performs works of Purcell & Handel celebrating music’s patron saint and emotive power, from subtle to spectacular. Hear the trumpet-laden splendour of Purcell’s Te Deum & Jubilate, with choir & orchestra, just as it was performed in St. Paul’s Cathedral, 1694; and Handel’s expressive Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day. Guests David Roth, Baritone, and Bud Roach, tenor & theorbo player join Melos musicians with a selection of intimate solo arias and short instrumentals by Purcell & Handel. Guest Baroque Trumpeters Paul Sanvidotti and Duncan Campbell join Melos’ Jennifer Day, performing Britten’s Fanfare for St. Edmundsbury of 1959, showing the ongoing appeal of Baroque instruments. Melos is thrilled to host workshops with Ivars Taurins of Tafelmusik in our preparations for this exciting program!
Journey to Bethlehem
Musical Revelations, West and East
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 3:00 PM
St. John the Apostle, 88 Patrick Street
With guests: Sadaf Amini, Iranian Santur; Navaa Ensemble: Iman Moshiritabrizi, Tenor; Alireza Ghane, Tar.
Melos & friends perform ancient chants, motets & traditional songs for Advent, Christmas & Yalda, carrying us on a journey through the season's darkness to new light.
This 1-hour program is followed by a brief break then an optional Carol Sing.
Photo credit: Paul Malo
Chant towards the light with Melos on Saturday nights in January as we explore a variety of ancient chant traditions: Gregorian, Hildegard, Mozarabic & Sufi. If you can sing in tune and sightread, or simply have a good ear, please drop in and sing with us! Relax under inspired leadership and tutelage each week. Or join us just to listen to the soothing sounds of chant-in-progress.
Cost per session: $10 or free-will offering.
Chantuary
Open Chant Sessions - West and East
Saturdays, Jan. 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
St. John the Apostle, 88 Patrick Street
Melos Fundraisers:
Two Noonday Recitals, 12:15 - 12:50
St. George's Cathedral
Thursday, March 12 -
To Shorten Winter's Sadness
Uplifting Music of the 16th - 18th c.
by Weelkes, Torelli, Bach & Byrd.
Melos Choir & Baroque players joined by
Duncan Campbell, Baroque trumpet.
Thursday, April 9 -
Serene Sounds of the Renaissance
Melos Choir & Players present
heavenly 16th c. choral works based on the popular Medieval and Renaissance tunes Nigra sum sed formosa and the love song, Ancor che col partire.
Music of Tomas Luis da Victoria, Jean l’Heritier, Cipriano de Rore & Jacquet de Mantua.