While many arts and other organizations have taken the unprecedented step of cancelling events for lengthy periods, Friends of Music is taking a somewhat more conservative approach by cancelling only events we know cannot take place for specific reasons. For example, we are currently cancelling Music at Noon concerts about two or three weeks in advance, as public health and other policies dictate that’s necessary. We can do this because we’re able to be fairly “nimble” in executing Music at Noon programs; in addition, most of our Music at Noon artists are willing and able to “wait and see” how public health and other policies play out over a period of time. Accordingly, we will be announcing Music at Noon cancellations on a “rolling” basis rather than for an extended time period that may or may not prove necessary.

The case of our scheduled Good Friday Devotional Concert on April 10 is more complicated because it involves many more “moving parts.” Given current public health guidance, we are unable to hold rehearsals, and we’d not even be able to even put all the performers and tech crew in a room for the concert, much less an audience (in our case, streaming is not a realistic option for reasons of logistics and expense). We regret the need to cancel this program, but recognize it’s our only viable option. UPDATE: We look forward to possibly scheduling a performance of Mr. Jenkins’ Stabat Mater in our 2020–2021 season.

Friends of Music is committed to bringing Pasadena the finest in music programming, always for no cost to attendees, and we look forward to resuming our full schedule as soon as public health policy makes that possible.