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The Greatest at First Church Cambridge

  • First Church Cambridge 11 Garden Street Cambridge, MA, 02138 United States (map)

Curated by Megumi Stohs Lewis

Musical Program:
Haydn: String Quartet in D minor Op.76, No.2, “Quinten” 
Valerie Coleman: Shotgun Houses for Clarinet & String Quartet 
Rebecca Clarke: Pastorale for Clarinet & Viola
Golijov: Ever Yours

What makes someone—or something—great?

Inspired in part by Valerie Coleman’s Shotgun Houses, a musical tribute to Muhammad Ali, this chamber program explores greatness not simply as triumph or fame, but as attention, vitality, generosity, and love.

Haydn’s “Quinten” Quartet transforms the most elemental building blocks of music into something endlessly inventive and alive. Rebecca Clarke’s luminous Pastorale offers a moment of intimacy and reflection, while Coleman’s exhilarating portrait of Ali celebrates the power of community and living with conviction.

The program closes with Osvaldo Golijov’s Ever Yours, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo and dedicated to enduring friendship and artistic devotion.

Together, these works ask us to consider another kind of greatness: not greatness that stands above others, but greatness that notices, connects, and leaves the world more vibrant than it found it.

Early Bird Subscription pricing through July 21st, 2026. Single tickets go on sale August 12.

Earlier Event: March 13
The Greatest at St. John's JP