Anonymous 4 (U.S.A.)
26/10;Sunday;8 pm
St. Dominic's Church
Admission with free tickets
Vocals:
Ruth Cunningham
Marsha Genensky
Susan Hellauer
Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek
Programme highlights
Selection of Motets and Chansons from 13rd-century France
Mater dei plena/ Mater virgo pia/ EIUS
A la clarte qui tout/ ET ILLUMINARE
He mere Diu/ La virge Marie/ APTATUR
De la glorieuse fenix
Selection of Sacred Music from the American Folk Tradition
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Parting Friends
Angel Band
In the pages of music history, Anonymous IV designates an important theoretical treatise written by an unknown student studying music at the University of Paris in the second half of the 13rd century. Today, Anonymous 4 describes a group of four extraordinary performers, not anonymous at all! The four singers got together in 1986 and wanted to hear what medieval chant and polyphony—traditionally sung by male voices—would sound like when sung by female voices. Almost thirty years later, they have not only recorded over twenty highly successful CDs, but also received the most prestigious awards available in the music industry.
Entitled Grace and Glory, the ensemble’s first concert returns us to a time of courtly chivalry and deep religious mysticism. Surprisingly, the poetic language and imagery of that time is equally shared by devotional chansons in honour of the Virgin Mary, the symbol of heavenly love, and Marion, the symbol of earthly love. These two women of adoration appear side by side in the pages of the Montpellier Codex, one of the most important musical collections of French polyphony composed around the year 1300. The first half of this programme exclusively draws on this fertile source of medieval music. Complementing this musical excursion into medieval France is the rich tapestry of sounds emanating from an extended American Folk and Gospel tradition. Make sure you don’t miss this evening of spirituality and devotion.
Please refer to the Festival Outreach Programme
Sung in Latin, English, French and Italian, no surtitles
Duration: approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, no interval
