The 54th annual Madrigal Dinner will be returning this year at the California Agricultural Museum in Woodland.
This seasonal celebration will feature performances from the Davis High School Madrigal Singers under the direction of Davis High School Choral Director Amanda Bistolfo and the Junior Madrigals, who are in 7th to 9th grade.
The fundraising event will also include appetizers, wine, dinner, dessert and a silent auction.
The Madrigal Dinner will take place on the evenings of Dec. 2 and 3. Tickets are $75 and must be purchased in advance at https://www.davismadrigals.org/madrigal-dinner.
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A new exhibition will be coming to the Pence Gallery in December titled “Flights of Fancy.”
The exhibit will feature the sculptures of Steven McGovney. The artist uses clay, steel wire, acrylic and oil paint to bring his animal and figurative work to life.
“McGovney’s art merges a surreal side of nature with his love of movement,” the Pence’s website said. “Birds painted in bright colors are outfitted with shoes and clothing. As he admits, his sculptures at the Pence are truly ‘imaginary birds inspired by the wacky names of birds themselves.’ They totter on long legs, giving a sense of whimsical action. His human figures are often based on fictional characters, such as in Alice in Wonderland, or from his own imagination.”
The exhibit will open at the Pence Gallery, located at 212 D St. in Davis, on Dec. 2 and will run through Dec. 24. The reception will take place Dec. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m.
For more information or to explore the exhibits currently on display, visit https://pencegallery.org/exhibitions/current-exhibits/.
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UC Davis’ Jazz “Big Bands” will be performing at the Mondavi Center, presenting songs from the Great American Songbook.
The performance is also expected to include a few contemporary works and will feature student vocalists. Tunes by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and many others are often presented, the Mondavi Center’s website said.
Jazz Big Bands of UC Davis will perform at the Mondavi Center on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.mondaviarts.org/event/2022-23/jazz-big-bands-uc-davis.
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The UC Davis Arboretum will be hosting a Folk Music Jam Session on Nov. 25 from noon to 1 p.m.
Folk musicians of all skill levels are invited to bring their acoustic instruments and gather at the Wyatt Deck to have an informal jam session.
“Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes (you name it) and join your fellow musicians for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and world music over the lunch hour,” UC Davis’ website said.
Listeners are also invited to come enjoy the music. Short-term parking is available in visitor lot 5 on Old Davis Road at Arboretum Drive. Hourly rates start at $1.75
For more information, call (530) 752-4880 or visit http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/calendar.aspx.
Center Stage is a column exploring the arts in and around Yolo County.
