We attended a full-house concert by Scottish fiddler Alastair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas. Fraser and Haas have fiddled together for 26 years, mostly playing their own contemporary compositions; and, while they were new to me, they certainly have an devoted audience. Their performances were enthusiastic. The concert hall itself has great acoustics and wide rows making things easier to hear and navigate. The Montgomery College staff are clearly excited to be a part of the College's Arts programs. Haas' cello was amplified (over-amplified, really) resulting in a lack of balance between cello and fiddle. But this is probably a result of the sound person: the same pieces from their newest album, Meridians, sound much better on Spotify. The performance made for a lovely evening.

The Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring might very well be the ugliest building to look at -- on the outside. But inside, there's a lovely mid-size theater that features seasonal, series and special performances. We went to a holiday performance of the Washington Revels which featured Andalusian, Sephardic, Arabic and Hebrew music and dance from the 1400-1600's. Quite a delight. Several old friends from the neighborhood were there, both in the audience and among the large cast. It all made for a festive evening of fun.