CLASSICAL

THURSDAY 7/12

HOFSTRA CHAMBER SINGERS--As part of a Solemn Choral Mass commemorating the feast of St. Benedict of Nursia, this New York-based ensemble performs Benjamin Britten's Missa brevis. Also on the program: Healey Willan's motet Ave Verum, Thomas Tallis' If ye love me, William Byrd's Susannah Fair, Gerald Finzi's My spirit sang all day, Herbert Howells' My eyes for beauty pine, and other short choral works. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, First Ave N and Queen Anne, 282-0786, 7 pm, donation.

UW CHAMBER ENSEMBLE--Jeremy Briggs Roberts conducts the UW Chamber Ensemble in Mozart's Symphony No. 27 in G major, K. 199, Schubert's Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, and Bach's Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042 with soloist Autumn Shepherd. Classical-era symphonies often sound muddy and flaccid in bigger halls like Benaroya, so this performance will be a treat for those who like their Mozart lithe and lean. Brechemin Auditorium, UW campus, 685-8384, 7:30 pm, free.

FRIDAY 7/13

THE ESOTERICS--Aside from premiering more new works than anyone else in town, this fine vocal ensemble tackles overlooked repertory, too. To celebrate the centennial of English composer Gerald Finzi, director Eric Banks chose All this night, Seven part-songs, Three short elegies, White-flowering days, and other sumptuously pastoral pieces. Pilgrim Congregational Church, Broadway E & E Republican, 8 pm, $14-$17. Also Sat July 14, 8 pm.

SATURDAY 7/14

ELLIOTT SHARP/BED OF SOUND--It was last year's hit in New York: Show up at a gallery, flop onto a huge futon, don headphones, and listen to sound works by Laurie Anderson, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sonic Youth, Vito Acconci, and Butch Morris, among others. Cognoscenti may lament the show's New York slant, but the curators have supplemented the exhibit with upcoming concerts by several of our area's finest experimental musicians. To kick things off, avant improviser and composer Elliott Sharp performs with his voice and the de rigeur Powerbook. Henry Art Gallery, UW Campus, 543-2281, 8 pm, $8-$10.

MONDAY 7/16

SALMON CYCLE--Filling a small room with water-related detritus, garish supermarket-style advertising posters, and a hauntingly banal soundtrack may or may not illustrate the early life of salmon, but the entire assemblage left me glued to my seat. Jack Straw Productions, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, 634-0919, Mon-Fri 9 am-6 pm, free. Through July 31.

TUESDAY 7/17

UW SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL--Although the Classical hillbilly bunkum of violinist Mark O'Connor is predictably the festival's featured attraction, risky souls should try Digital Fusions, a concert of electro-acoustic music curated by UW composer Richard Karpen. Meany has a superb P.A. system and you can bet that it will rigged for (at least) quadraphonic sound. Meany Theater, UW campus, 543-4880, 8 pm, $8-$10.