This class will be a musical tour of the history of the cello. It will have both lecture and musical examples played live on the cello. We will begin with a brief history of bowed string instruments, then the birth of the modern cello in the Baroque era. We will hear short pieces of classical music from later eras and a description of the cello's role in those times. We'll have a little non-classical music, and end with a few holiday favorites in the Christian and Jewish traditions.