www.montereycountynow.com DECEMBER 11-17, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 39 MUSIC Noël means Christmas in French; the word comes from the same Latin root as English “nativity.” The tradition of noëls— chants de noël, or French carols—can be traced back to the times of the infamous Louis XIV. They were sung during the shepherds’ mass at midnight, where everyone could join and sing along. Over the next couple of centuries many French composers released their own versions of noëls, showing off their craft. “French baroque music is very beautiful,” says Derek Tam, a master of harpsichord and the director of the San Francisco Early Music Society. Tam—along with SandBox’s Michelle Djokic—prepared a holiday music program for the Sand City venue, with an emphasis on French baroque music. “One of the characteristics is that the French baroque music is very intricate; another is that the pieces are very small. So it’s like having a treat with each piece,” Tam adds. Hence the comparison to French bon-bons—tiny, intricate pieces of chocolate, each wrapped in a festive colored foil. The first part of the evening will be all about the musical bon-bons, about 10 short pieces that include such treats as “Joseph est bien marié” (“Joseph is happily married”) and “Où s’en vont ces gais bergers?” (“Where are these happy shepherds going?”), two noëls by Claude-Bénigne Balbastre (1724-1799), who was the organist at Notre Dame in Paris. In addition to Christmas music, Tam will present baroque pieces written for the harpsichord and devoted to such extravagant subjects as birds, eels, fish and even bacon. “Derek travels with his own instrument everywhere, which is pretty cool in itself,” Djokic says, promising a wonderful night of music. “He is also one of the most clever musicians I have collaborated with.” During the second part of the concert, Djokic will join Tam with her cello for a bit of lively mischief. They will play “Sonata No. 2 in F Major RV 41” by Vivaldi, “Sonata No. III in B flat Major” by Händel (as arranged by Louis Fournier), “Toccata” by Girolamo Frescobaldi (but really by 20th-century Spanish cellist and composer Gaspar Cassado, as Tam emphasizes) and then another piece—a surprise. Fêtes Baroques: Sounds of Celebration 7-9pm Tuesday, Dec. 16. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. Free; RSVP required. sandboxsandcity@gmail.com, sandboxsandcity.com. SISTO FLORES Holiday Bon-Bons French noëls are at the heart of the baroque Christmas program coming to SandBox. By Agata Popęda Derek Tam travels with his harpsichord to perform around the country. For his Sand City visit, the Bay Area master goes for French baroque music. Orders must be placed by December 15 for Christmas delivery
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