Nothing is more magical than the sound of voices blended together in song.  “English Madrigals & Masterworks” celebrates the tradition of unaccompanied singing, from its origin in medieval times to its vitality in the present day.  You’ll be entranced by the inspiring and haunting sounds in union with romantic poetry.  The pomp and ceremony of English royalty leaned heavily on choral music, from James II in 1665, to Handel’s 1727 “Coronation Anthems” for George II in 1727, to the 2023 coronation of Charles III.

In this concert we offer you a glimpse into this sound and its union with romantic poetry.  The texts focus on spirituality, and our mortality, and the joys of living, rather than on sacred texts for religious services.  The 16th and 17th Century English poets, Spenser, Vaughn, Davis, Campion, Lockhart, and others, provide an opportunity for lush, expressive choral writing that describes the longing, the elusiveness, and the hope for things within and beyond this life.  The Parry “Songs of Farewell” were composed during the devastation of the First World War, and try to bridge the chasm from despair to hope that enveloped England and all of Europe.  The Stanford “Motets” use Latin biblical texts covering death and resurrection, and the Harris “Faire is the Heaven” describes the actual place of heaven with the cherubim singing, and endless perfection.  We’ve tossed in a few gumdrops in the middle of the program in the way of some Madrigals, both happy and sad, covering love and loss.  And finally, we invite the audience to join us in “God Save the King” to complete our tour of England.t