Nov. 7: GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Continues 20th Anniversary Season with Mighty Fortress

Photo by Nikolai Alexander / F Point Productions available in high resolution here.

GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Continues 20th Anniversary Season with Mighty Fortress on November 7, 2026

A Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert
Curated by A Far Cry Cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer

Saturday, November 7, 2026 7:30pm
Old South Church | 645 Boylston Street | Boston, MA
Tickets and More Information

Boston, MA – GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra and “world-wide phenomenon” (WBUR) A Far Cry (AFC) continues its 20th anniversary season with a Mainstage Concert titled Mighty Fortress on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm at Old South Church (645 Boylston Street, Boston). Curated by A Far Cry violinist Alex Fortes, Mighty Fortress is a celebration of resilience in collaboration with Boston Children’s Chorus and vocal soloists soprano Ariadne Greif, mezzo-soprano Clare McNamara, tenor Brian Giebler, and bass Paul Max Tipton. The program features Talamh (land) by inti figgis-vizueta; Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God), BWV 80 by J.S. Bach; and Gay Guerrilla by Julius Eastman. The latter two were inspired by the words and hymnal melody of Martin Luther:

“A mighty fortress God is still, a sturdy shield and weapon;
he'll keep us clear from all the ill that hath us now o'ertaken.”

The program opens with the depiction of a foundation and refuge. inti figgis-vizueta describes Talamh as a sonic landscape, “a way for me to connect to home and recall many of the rich and magical mountains, streams, and forests I walked through with my papa, Peter, in Ireland since very young.” Martin Luther’s words and hymnal melody were the source materials for both Bach and Eastman in the works on this program, for Bach in 1723 as a devout Lutheran, for Eastman in 1979 as a composer hoping to draw on a similar fighting spirit. Bach composed Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God), BWV 80 for Protestant Reformation Day. The sacred cantata is based on the music and text of the “Battle Hymn of the Reformation,” Martin Luther’s chorale and one of the most well-known melodies of Christianity. Bach’s cantata channels a dramatic nature similar to Luther’s declarative work. In Eastman’s words, “a guerilla is someone who is sacrificing their life for a point of view. I use the word ‘guerrilla,’ in the hopes that I might be one if called upon.” While Gay Guerrilla premiered as a piece for four pianos, “for practical reasons,” Eastman spoke at the premiere, of envisioning another version of Gay Guerrilla for "let's say, 18 stringed instruments,” which A Far Cry is realizing at this performance.

Performed by the combined forces of orchestra, chorus, and soloists, Mighty Fortress celebrates the strength we summon when our communities stand together.

Violinist and curator Alex Fortes says, “Julius Eastman refers to the works he composed, such as Gay Guerilla, as ‘organic music,’ because his music evolves and grows like a living organism does. I'm excited for this concert’s celebration of ‘organic musicmaking,’ juxtaposing J.S. Bach’s and Eastman’s incredibly powerful takes on Luther’s Mighty Fortress hymn, separated by about 250 years, and also including the incredibly thoughtful and collaborative, iridescent soundscapes that inti figgis-vizueta creates in Talamh. A Far Cry always celebrates communal musicmaking, and we are excited to do so in these very special ways for one of our biggest collaborations in our 20 years making music.”

A Far Cry’s 20th anniversary season includes nine thoughtfully curated programs presented throughout the Boston area including a grand finale anniversary celebration, from September 2026 through June 2027 at venues including New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plan, Old South Church in Boston, First Church in Cambridge, and the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama. See schedule below.

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, the greater musical community, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is a dynamic representation of music and collaborators across genres and backgrounds. The Criers believe it is this core value and sense of curiosity and mission that led The Boston Globe to write that, “even though A Far Cry has decisively established itself as a mainstay of the Boston musical community, something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.” In addition to its home season in Boston, the ensemble tours nationally, collaborates regularly with other world-class musicians throughout the country, and has twice been nominated for GRAMMY Awards in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. The group’s recording of Rounds by Jessie Montgomery with pianist Awadagin Pratt on his album Stillpoint garnered Montgomery the GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2024.

A Far Cry’s national tours have taken the ensemble to leading venues including The Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Kaufman Music Center, the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, at Caramoor, the Ravinia Festival, Rockport Chamber Music Festival-Shalin Liu, Groton Hill Music Center, Newport Classical Music Festival, and many more. The Criers are proud to call Boston home, and maintain strong roots in the city. Collaborating with local students through educational partnerships with the New England Conservatory and Project STEP, A Far Cry aims to pass on the spirit of collaboratively-empowered music to the next generation.

More about A Far Cry: www.afarcry.org/group-bio

A Far Cry Season 20: At-a-Glance Concert Schedule

September 19: Goldberg Variations with Simone Dinnerstein, piano
October 24-25: Folie à deux
November 7: Mighty Fortress with Boston Children's Chorus, Ariadne Greif, soprano; Clare McNamara, alto; Brian Giebler, tenor; and Paul Max Tipton, bass
December 19-20: Brandenburgs (12/19), (12/20)
January 9-10, 2027: Coming to Boston: From Haiti with Charlot Lucien, Haitian poet (1/9), (1/10)
February 12, 2027: Heartstrings: The Most Beautiful Music in the World with Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, Boston Poet Laureate
March 13-14, 2027: The Greatest (3/13), (3/14)
April 10, 2027: Side by Side: Absolute Cinema with Students from New England Conservatory and Project STEP
June 5, 2027: Season 20 Celebration - Mix Tape for Boston: Costumes Change, Pulse Remains

A Far Cry’s full performance calendar: afarcry.org/all-concerts

For Calendar Editors:

Description: GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra and “world-wide phenomenon” (WBUR) A Far Cry continues its 20th anniversary season with Folie à Deux, its first set of Neighborhood Chamber Concerts of the year, on Saturday, October 24 at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Sunday, October 25 at First Church Cambridge. Curated by A Far Cry cellist Rafael Popper-Keizer, Folie à Deux explores musical partnership through six striking duos for violin, viola, cello, and marimba.

Concert details:

Who: GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry
What: Folie à Deux – A Neighborhood Community Concert
When: Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 3:00pm
Where: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1 Roanoke Avenue, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Tickets and More Information: https://www.afarcry.org/all-concerts/folie-deux-jp  

Who: GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry
What: Folie à Deux – A Neighborhood Community Concert
When: Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 3:00pm
Where: First Church Cambridge, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets and More Information: https://www.afarcry.org/all-concerts/folie-deux-cambridge