All posts by Caitlin Laird, Manager
A Medieval Christmas: Hodie Christus Natus Est Central Congregational Church te%
Seasonal Medieval English Music
Our Advent musical selection for this weekend, from medieval England, is the delicious “Angelus ad Virginem.” (Even Chaucer was a fan.) The thirteenth-century text and tune narrate the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary. Today we’ll let you imagine the story as Christa Patton and Shira Kammen play the instrumental lines on medieval-style harps, an instrument associated, then as now, with angelic grace. Please enjoy!
Remember that you can hear our program of Medieval Christmas music live in the Boston area December 17-19, or stream it on-demand starting December 23!
As we went out a-walking…
We embarked on a profound adventure, tying together both Black and White American spirituals, in the unique, pioneering We’ll Be There! program. Listen below as Jordan Weatherston Pitts assumes the role of the passionate young preacher in the spiritual “Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler,” and then, if you are moved by his performance, consider purchasing an online ticket to the entire concert! It’s still available for streaming on-demand, through November 28. If you had to miss the live performance you can enjoy the full-length concert video, as many times as you wish, during the streaming period.
A Boston Legend Joins Up with Camerata
He had a series of hit records in his younger years, and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2010. He also had a long, distinguished career on the bench in the Boston municipal court system. Still active as a singer, stage producer, and choral director, the Honorable Milton Wright joins the Camerata on November 6 as we present We’ll Be There: American Spirituals, Black and White, 1800-1900. A few days ago, we sat down with Judge Wright for an interview; here are some excerpts of our talk with a most unusual, multi-faceted person.
An All-Star Cast for We’ll Be There!
Middle row: Jordan Weatherston Pitts, Milton Wright, Deborah Rentz Moore
Bottom row: Libor Dudas, Ian Saunders, Corey Dalton Hart, Joel Cohen
We are delighted to be featuring these distinguished artists on November 6, as Camerata gives its first live performance since March 2020. We will begin this new season with a moment of remembrance for victims of the pandemic.
Then, appropriately, we will look towards Camerata’s past, and our ensemble’s many concerts and live recordings of early American music, but also toward a vibrant future, as we focus intently on the African-American contribution to our shared spiritual heritage.
Please welcome our colleagues, old and new, to the concert stage. We’ll be there!
An Update from Anne
Our peripatetic Artistic Director has just returned from a European tour. These first live performances since the pandemic took place before enthusiastic audiences and full houses in the Netherlands, Italy and Slovenia. Included was an extended interview on national French radio around the up and coming release of our new Harmonia Mundi CD, Hodie Christus Natus Est.
Welcome collaborators were regular Camerata vielle player Shira Kammen in the Netherlands, and in Italy and Slovenia, lutenist Fabio Accurso. “[Azéma’s] voice is perfect for these early repertoires – it has clear, direct, but also earthly qualities – an angelic presence…”says the Grržeta Blog of her last performance in Slovenia. Anne says that she loved appearing again before the warm Dutch public, and making new friends in Italy and Slovenia. “I hope we can enlarge the Camerata circle with such lovely projects,” says Anne, adding that she is eager to work on our new intown 2021-2022 season.
This tour was made possible in part with the help of a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through the generous funding of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Trust for Mutual Understanding.
Staying Safe at Camerata Performances
We have updated our COVID mitigation protocols for the 2021-22 season. Please keep these in mind as you purchase your tickets!
Vaccination Policy: All patrons, staff, and artists are required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when they arrive at an in-person event. We recommend that unvaccinated patrons consider purchasing online tickets.
Mask Requirement: All patrons and staff are required to wear a well-fitting mask at all times before, during, and after the concert. The mask should always cover your nose and mouth. Artists may not be masked while performing, but will maintain a safe distance from the audience.
Ticketing: We will not be selling tickets at the door this season. Tickets for in-person events will need to be purchased ahead of time. If you are sick, we encourage you to stay home. We will send the online performance link to all patrons a few days after the in-person event.
We look forward to seeing you live at our performances this season!
The Seasons Turn…
As the last days of summer lead to the equinox and the start of the new season, we share with you a Renaissance litany of saints by the great Heinrich Isaac (c.1450-1517), hoping that good spiritual energy will follow in the weeks and months to come. This track is excerpted from our recent CD Treasures of Devotion (available for purchase HERE). The soloists are tenors Michael Barrett and Dan Hershey.
A Morning Song for the New Year
Our times are troubled, but we persevere. Camerata offers, during this week of repentance and renewal in the Jewish community, “Adon Olam — Lord of the World,” a beautiful medieval hymn text sometimes sung on the mornings of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The awesome musical setting, in Venetian double-choir style, is by Salamone Rossi Ebreo of Mantua (1570-1630). May the sun soon rise on a world at peace!
