The Alley’s Virtual Yet Intimate Production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ Is Meta — and Marvelous

The performing arts have been brought to a screeching halt as a result of the ongoing pandemic. The Houston Brass Quintet, a local nonprofit music troupe, met the moment head-on with outdoor pop-up concerts around the city. Their perseverance has helped keep their heads above water, and the group is gearing up for a holiday season unlike any other.

The chamber group focuses on diverse music genres, prioritizes collaboration in the arts community, and gives back to the community through educational and service programs. Founding member and managing director Sarah Perkins beams as she discusses the service component of the quintet. "The group was originally formed as a one-off for a party," she says. "A gentleman approached me at the party and asked if I was interested in putting a chamber group together, and he gave us $5,000 to get started. With the seed money we got, we decided to make our group a nonprofit, because the mission aspect was important to me — to have a service component involved, with particular emphasis on the Alzheimer's and dementia community."