By Daniel Buckwalter

The serenity of the holiday season walked hand-in-hand with marvelous talent, and the shame of it all is that the hour-plus went by too fast.

I wanted to hear more.

The Oregon Mozart Players brought a richness of mostly Italian fare on Dec. 19 and 20 with its annual Candlelight Sounds of the Season performance at Central Presbyterian Church near the University of Oregon.

Led by artistic director and conductor David Amado, OMP’s roster for the two concerts — 12 string players and harpsichordist Tung Nguyen — delicately glided through Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite III (including the magnificent third movement), Arcangelo Corelli’s Concerto Grosso No. 8 and English composer Alec Rowley’s Christmas Suite.

The star of the performances each night, however, was soprano Naomi Castro. She led OMP with delicacy and grace through Alessandro Scarlatti’s seven-movement Christmas Cantata.
It was a treasure to hear.

The cantata is a piece of work where Scarlatti imagines the birth of Jesus as seen through the eyes of shepherds. It’s not a new concept, of course, but Scarlatti gives it a solemnity that, in the hands of the correct vocal soloist, makes the piece sound truly reverential.

Castro was the perfect fit. She gave the cantata the tender and intimate humbleness it deserved. At times, it was achingly beautiful.

If you’ve never heard Castro sing, you should. Her voice is a wonder, and she certainly is busy.

A native of Hawaii, she is the chorus director of Eugene Opera and vocal director at Cottage Theatre in Cottage. This month, she made her formal debut as chorus director of the Eugene Symphony Orchestra (Messiah).

I’m not done, because Castro isn’t done. She also is the artistic operations coordinator for the Oregon Bach Festival and sings with the Oregon Bach Collegium as well as at Central Lutheran Church.

That’s a schedule.

OMP’s annual Candlelight Sounds of the Season concert, the last concert of the calendar year, is always special for its peace and stillness — its beauty and grace.

With that, Eugene Scene wishes everyone a peaceful holiday season.