The Music Guild opened its 67th year with an interesting, varied and well balanced program performed by the Carducci String Quartet. The Guild has now settled happily into the University Synagogue in Brentwood with a comfortable spacious hall, free and ample parking and even complementary coffee and cookies before the concert and during intermission.
    

    
The British group (made up of two married couples) bookended with two superbly played pieces, Hayden’s Op 76 No. 4 and joined with pianist Francois Chouchan on Dvorak’s quintet Op. 81. The Philip Glass No. 4 was played with elegance and beautiful sweep. A composer not often heard was Anglo-Irish E.J. Moeran, whose second quartet, inspired by the folksongs of Ireland, was lushly beautiful.

The Shanghai String Quartet will perform Beethoven, Penderecki and Schubert on November 28, 29 and 30 at 8 pm.
    

    
For details of venues and programs: TheMusicGuild.org or 310 558-3500

SPAIN AND BEYOND

On Nov. 19 & 20 the Verdi Chorus will present SPAIN AND BEYOND, a program of operatic excerpts, at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. Featured soloist Peabody Southwell and the chorus will sing famous arias from "Carmen," Verdi, Granados, De Falla and Zarzuela. Laraine Stivers-Madden is the accompanist. The company's artistic director is Anne Marie Ketchum.

1008 11th Street, Santa Monica. 800-838-3006 or verdichorus.org.