programs

The Sky of My Heart

A program of ancient and modern vocal music that takes the listener on an international journey from 12th-century English chant and 15th-century Franco-Flemish sacred polyphony to 16th-century Italian Renaissance madrigals and popular American songs of the early 20th century. The elegantly crafted tapestry of sacred and secular music is paired with sleek 20th and 21st-century works commissioned by the ensemble from Paul Moravec, Andrew Smith, and Akemi Naito, stretching boundaries of sonority and tonality.

And the Sun Darkened

Inspired by our two most recent BIS Records releases, the Passiontide program features elegiac masterworks including the rarely-performed motet cycle, Officium de Cruce, by Loyset Compère (1445-1518), and settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by Peñalosa (1470-1528), Crecquillon (1505-1557) and Andrew Smith (b. 1970).

Eternity

In this all-early, sacred music program, we explore the themes of eternity and music’s ability to transcend time through works of plainchant and polyphony. Centering on Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices, the program also includes medieval Marian works from the Worcester Fragments and Renaissance motets by Victoria, Palestrina, and Guerrero.

Puer Natus

We meld modern carols and commissions with medieval and Renaissance polyphony in this intimate reflection on the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Spanning seven centuries, our program includes works by Andrew Smith, William Byrd, John Tavener, and Michael McGlynn.

These Turbulent Times

An exploration of the music of the English pre-Reformation, this program showcases selections from the Gyffard Partbooks (c. 1580) alongside works by Byrd and contemporary composers including Paul Moravec, Andrew Smith, and Ivan Moody.