The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, led by founder and music director Mark Harvey, gave its inaugural concert December 23, 1973 at the Church of the Covenant in Boston as a benefit for the Chelsea Fire Fund.  Aardvark will return to the church five decades later, to celebrate its 50th Annual Christmas Concert.  This iconic Boston holiday tradition will feature joyful music, from jazz-infused carols to spirituals to Mark Harvey originals, including his Afro-Jazz Benedictus and his high energy arrangement of Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, a staple of the Christmas concerts since the very first performance in 1973.  Proceeds will support the Poor People’s United Fund, an organization that works to alleviate the suffering of poor and homeless people in Greater Boston.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, one of the longest running large jazz ensembles in the world, has given more than 200 premieres of works for jazz orchestra and has released 16 CDs, including 10 discs on Leo Records, one of the world’s leading adventurous music labels.  Guest artists have included jazz luminaries Sheila Jordan, Jaki Byard, Ricky Ford, Jimmy Giuffre, Geri Allen, Jay Clayton, Dominique Eade, Vinny Golia, Paul Lovens, Rajesh Mehta, Lewis Porter and Walter Thompson.  Mark Harvey has performed in the U.S., Mexico and Europe; has recorded with George Russell (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey (Arista/Novus) and has appeared with Gil Evans, Claudio Roditi, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, Kenny Dorham and others.  Dr. Harvey is a retired Methodist minister and is Senior Lecturer in Music Emeritus at MIT, where he taught jazz studies for 40 years.   Aardvark is:  Aardvark is: Arni Cheatham,  Peter H. Bloom, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan, Daniel Ian Smith/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; Bob Pilkington, Jay Keyser/trombones; Bill Lowe/bass trombone, tuba; Richard Nelson/guitar; Jesse Williams/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Grace Hughes, vocalist; Mark Harvey/piano, music director.