For choral enthusiasts, the professional Sanford Dole Ensemble is the obvious choice this weekend. The group is giving the premieres of two pieces by local, Bay Area composers as well as the local premiere of David Conte's The Nine Muses.
Dole himself was a founding member of Chanticleer, and has had some success as a choral composer, so he doesn't usually err much in his choice of new music.
And there are few things that can throw his ensemble — they can cut loose or tightly cover difficult-to-coordinate passages, so the performances themselves can be a great experience.