Rachel Begley: September 26, 2026

Description

NAVRS' Founding Music Director Rachel Begley explores lullabies, night music, and uneasy dreams. The program will feature “Schlafe, mein Liebster” from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Coventry Carol, a fun and colorful arrangement of Brahms’ famous lullaby "Wiegenlied", Shearing’s jazzy “Lullaby of Birdland”, and the premiere of a new “Lullaby” in 5/8 that Rachel has composed in celebration of NAVRS’ fifth anniversary. By turns comforting, haunting, playful, and gently off-balance, these pieces inhabit the shifting space between sleep and wakefulness. Rachel Begley is a recorder player, historical bassoonist, teacher, arranger, and musical curator whose work spans historical performance, orchestral playing, chamber music, and community music-making. Originally from England, she has performed throughout the United States and beyond as a specialist in recorders and historical bassoons, appearing with leading orchestras, opera companies, and period-instrument ensembles, including The Metropolitan Opera, Apollo’s Fire, and the Newberry Consort. Known for her expressive musicianship, imaginative programming, and stylistic versatility, Rachel is committed to creating rich and engaging musical experiences, both with colleagues and with musicians of all levels. Her teaching, both privately and at workshops, combines deep historical knowledge with warmth, humor, and a strong instinct for ensemble culture. For more than thirty years, she has brought those same qualities to her work as Music Director of the Recorder Society of Long Island, encouraging others to learn through shared musical exploration. As the Founding Music Director of NAVRS, Rachel envisioned and cultivated a thriving online community bringing together recorder players from across North America and beyond. Through imaginative programming and a strong commitment to musical quality and participant experience, her work helped redefine the possibilities of online music-making for the North American recorder community. The Zoom link will be live beginning at 1:30 pm Eastern (12:30 pm Central, 11:30 am Mountain, 10:30 am Pacific). Please join us as we will use the time to chat and use breakout rooms to get to know one another. We have announcements approximately 5-10 minutes before the hour and the music begins at 2:00 pm eastern. NOTE: After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the music for the session, which will be available at least one week before the event.