Subscriptions

For several years I've been subscribing to concerts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Handel and Haydn Society. And in the past three years my older brother has been joining me at the H&H concerts, which we attend on Sunday afternoons. I go alone to the BSO on Thursday evenings (he's doing other things). For a couple of seasons I went to one series of BSO concerts on Thursdays and one on Tuesdays, but I had to exchange so many of the Tuesday performances because of church meetings that I decided to go with all Thursdays.

I've put in my requests for next year with both organizations. I'll have tickets for 19 of the 23 BSO Thursday evening concerts. They divide the Thursday concerts into 4 series. Last year I subscribed to Series A and C, which are 7 concerts each. For next season I'm adding Series D for another 5 concerts. Already there is one conflict. They are giving Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah" on April 1. I'd really like to hear it, but that day is Holy Thursday and I'll be in church that evening. I'm thinking of exchanging that ticket for a performance in the B Series: Mendelssohn's Overture and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Rossini's Stabat Mater. The Rossini piece is the big attraction for me. Here are the dates for my series:

Thursday-A 7 Thursday evenings at 8pm - 10/29, 11/12, 01/07, 02/11, 03/11, 04/01, 04/22

Thursday-C 7 Thursday evenings at 8pm - 10/22, 12/03, 01/14, 02/18, 03/25, 04/08, 04/29

Thursday-D 5 Thursday evenings at 8pm - 10/15, 11/05, 01/21, 02/04, 04/15

If you want to know what I'l be hearing, here's a link to the season schedule. I may also add the opening night, because I try to take in the world premieres that they give.

At the H&H, we'll be going to concerts on Nov. 8, Dec. 17 (a Thursday), Jan. 31, and May 2. And I'll be going to their Handel Messiah on December 6. Here's the link to their schedule, so you can satisfy your curiosity about what I'll be hearing.

I get mailings from other Boston musical organizations, and I often think it would be good to go to some of their performances, but so far I haven't decided to subscribe to any. Last year I attended a performance of Der Freischütz, but that was the only thing I did beyond the BSO and H&H (and HMA on Friday evenings).

If you're within striking distance of Boston, take a look at the schedules and see if any of the concerts look interesting. Maybe you'd want to get single tickets, or you might even want a subscription of your own. There are several dates available for each concert program, so it should be possible for you to find something.