Shiloh Manor Farm hosts evening of Baroque music and fine dining

Soprano Kerry Holahan will return to the Wheatland Concert Series at Shiloh Manor Farm on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., offering an intimate evening of Baroque music and fine French cuisine. To sign up, go to www.shiloh-manor.com.

Holahan, known for her performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Folger Consort, and the National Cathedral Choir, will present a stirring program of arias from Handel’s Messiah. She will be accompanied by harpsichordist Professor Mark Janello of The Johns Hopkins University Peabody Conservatory, cellist Peter Kibee, and Holly Nelson on Baroque violin, bringing together a distinguished ensemble devoted to historically informed performance.

During intermission, guests will be treated to an authentic French wild-game dinner prepared by Chef Erik Foxx Nettnin. The meal will begin with Gougère du Champignon, a savory tartlet filled with sautéed fall mushrooms, followed by Rillettes du Sanglier, a classic wild boar pâté.

The main course, Steak Chevreuil au Poire, features tender elk steak in a peppercorn cream sauce, accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes and caramelized roasted Brussels sprouts. Dessert will be a traditional Crème Brûlée. A vegetarian option is available upon request, and the meal will be paired with a fine imported Cabernet Sauvignon.

The focus of the evening, Handel’s Messiah, emerges from one of the most remarkable creative episodes in Western music. Born in 1685 in what is now Germany, Handel achieved great success in England writing operas for the aristocracy.

By the 1740s, musical tastes had changed, and his fortunes declined. Encouraged by his friend Charles Jennens to set scriptural passages reflecting on the life and mission of Jesus, Handel entered a period of extraordinary inspiration. In just 24 days, he completed the 53-movement, 260-page oratorio. According to early accounts, friends found him weeping during composition, claiming he saw heaven open. He concluded the manuscript with the words “Soli Deo Gloria,” meaning “To God alone the glory.” Nearly three centuries later, Messiah remains one of the most cherished and frequently performed works in the world.

The Wheatland Concert Series was created during the difficulties of the pandemic to bring people together through beauty, community, and shared experience. The ancient stone walls and hand-hewn timbers of Shiloh Manor Farm provide a setting that emphasizes the enduring nature of fine music and memorable meals enjoyed in good company.

Tickets for this limited-seating event are available at www.shiloh-manor.com, and early reservations are encouraged.