[ classical ]
Piffaro concerts are exceptionally delightful musical experiences, but it’s also fun just to see their exotic-looking old instruments in action. The acclaimed Philadelphia-based Renaissance band certainly has a flair for drama. This concert features the debut of their new baby, a six-foot-long shawm, a popular Renaissance woodwind. The works they will play reflect the surprising range of music that was to be heard in 16th-century Germany, for audiences both royal and common, secular and ecclesiastical.
Fri., Oct. 12, 8 p.m., Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave.; Sat., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce streets; $15-$40, 215-235-8469, piffaroplaza.com.
