Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble presents Wintersongs on December 10

For more than two decades, Kitka Women’s Vocal Ensemble’s annual Wintersongs concerts have explored songs from across Eastern Europe that summon the return of light and hope in times of difficulty and darkness. This year, Kitka’s nine powerful female vocalists give voice to seasonal songs of sustenance from Balkan, Baltic, Caucasian, Mediterranean and Slavic lands at St. Bede’s Church (2650 Sand Hill Rd.) in Menlo Park on Sunday, December 10 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Purchase tickets online.

Concert highlights include songs expressing wonder and gratitude for the miracle of creation, the diversity of life on earth, and the mysterious influences of heavenly bodies; folk carols that bestow blessings upon families and friends gathered around hearth fires and feast tables; songs that express faith and devotion to divine beings; humorous songs that heal us with laughter; songs that call out for peace on earth; and songs that summon hope for rebirth and renewal in springtime. This Wintersongs offering is also a tribute to the power of voices raised in harmony to nourish feelings of community and connectedness.

Kitka, which means “bouquet” in Bulgarian and Macedonian, began as a grassroots group of singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds who shared a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, and resonant strength of traditional Eastern European and Eurasian women’s vocal music. Since its informal beginnings in 1979, the group has evolved into an internationally-recognized professional ensemble known for its artistry, versatility, and mastery of the demanding techniques of Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian vocal styling.