Join SFEMS for our special summer season featuring two captivating, staged performances!
First, Emperor of the Moon (June 6–8, various locations)—a stunning collaboration by Nash Baroque and Dance Through Time—blends music, historical dance, and theatrical storytelling to transport audiences to the vibrant world of early 18th-century musical theater in London.
Next, experience the sublime beauty of Secret Byrd, a uniquely immersive, theatrical staging from Concert Theatre Works and Director Bill Barclay, presented by The Gesualdo Six and Wildcat Viols in San Francisco’s breathtaking Grace Cathedral (July 17–18).
Don’t miss this unforgettable summer season!
Emperor of the Moon
Experience a pastiche of music, dance, pantomime and puppetry from the 17th- and 18th-century English stage. Nash Baroque Ensemble and Dance Through Time present their fourth collaboration, Emperor of the Moon, transporting audiences to the vibrant musical theater world of London in 1705, a time when scientific discoveries were shaking up long-held beliefs about the solar system and what it meant to be human. In this exciting and tumultuous time, a cast of commedia dell’arte characters fascinated with the movement of the planets embark on an unforgettable journey to the moon—an adventure about the redemptive powers of love in a world where madness and reason collide, told through rarely-performed historical dance and pantomime.
Summer Season Packages NOW Available
Individual Tickets Available March 25
FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 7:30 PM
Carrington Hall
1201 Brewster Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062
SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 4:00 & 7:30 PM
Live Oak Theater
1301 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2:30 PM
Gunn Theatre at The Legion of Honor
100 34th Ave, San Francisco
We suggest a ticket price between $35 and $45 per ticket. Anything is appreciated, and if you can pay more, please do!
Secret Byrd
Witness an extraordinary, immersive concert experience like never before in San Francisco’s stunning Grace Cathedral. The UK’s Gesualdo Six and the Bay Area’s Wildcat Viols present a groundbreaking collaboration with Concert Theatre Works in a unique event honoring the 400-year legacy of William Byrd, one of England’s finest composers. Directed by Bill Barclay, Secret Byrd brings the historical context of Byrd’s music to life through a ritualistic, theatrical staging by candlelight, recreating the profound spiritual intensity of forbidden Catholicism in Reformation England. The sublime, high renaissance style of Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices is interspersed with other secular & sacred works, inviting listeners into a mystical journey with particular resonance in today’s world.
THURSDAY & FRIDAY, JULY 17 & 18, 6:30 PM & 9:30 PM
Grace Cathedral
1100 California St, San Francisco
Summer Season Packages NOW Available
Individual Tickets Available March 25
Fully Immersive Tickets $75:
Immerse yourself in the excitement of this exclusive secret mass with premium seating and a small serving of soup, bread, and wine
General Admission $60:
You will gain access to seating around the perimeter of the space. Please note that this ticket does not include soup.
Pay-What-You-Can Tickets:
A limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets will be available starting May 1. This initiative allows everyone the opportunity to experience the event, regardless of budget. Don’t miss your chance to secure one of these tickets—mark your calendars!