A Gallery of Kings:
Uses and Abuses of Power ca 1300
Songs and stories of powerful Kings, both good and bad, abound in the Middle Ages. “May he reign forever!” sings the crowd, but the monarch’s power is limited: by his fallible judgement, his formidable adversaries, his love of power, and his own, precarious mortality. These ancient songs, in Latin, German, Galician, Old English, and French, of kingship and its snares resonate strongly down the centuries, into our own, turbulent time.
Trav’ling Home:
American Spirituals, 1770-1870
The Boston Camerata’s pioneering programs of early American music have brought pleasure to thousands of music lovers, and have helped to clarify and define our country’s rich and diverse cultural identity. It traces migratory currents and flows of early American song, largely spiritual but also secular. Among the various communities participating in this rich American mosaic we encounter the Puritans of New England, the Shakers and their visionary monodies, Amish and Mennonites of Pennsylvania, and the newly-freed African-American religious communities. The musical sources of this program are drawn from European and New World oral traditions, hymns, psalms and chants in English, German dialects, early songbooks of Black churches, as well as gems from the still largely unpublished Shaker manuscript archive at Sabbathday Lake, ME.
Haigerloch, Germany
Borrowed Light
In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shakers movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?
This TSC classic returns to the stage 20 years after its premiere!
Ludwigsburg, Germany
City of Fools:
Medieval Songs of Rule and Misrule
City of Fools explores age-old themes of justice and corruption as told through ancient minstrel songs. Satirical works from medieval France, Provençe, and Germany provide a sharply-etched and astonishingly contemporary perspective on our own nation’s current travails.
We hope that hearing how corrupt rulers were mocked in the thirteenth century will give us some perspective on the twenty-first,
says Camerata Artistic Director Anne Azéma. There will be laughter, hopefully, but also some serious reflection on the nature of justice, all within a context of beautiful and rousing music.
The concert will include songs of the great Provençal troubadour and satirist Peire Cardenal, as well as pungent excerpts from Carmina Burana and the Roman de Fauvel. Be prepared for a surprise or two along the way!
concludes Azéma. Boston Camerata’s virtuoso musicians include longtime collaborator Shira Kammen on vielle.
Sing We Noel:
Christmas Music from England and Early America
A much-loved Camerata holiday program returns two generations later! We celebrate Christmas in the English speaking world down through the centuries, with wonderful songs and carols from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance to early America. While most music presented here is artmusic — transcribed form old manuscripts and prints — the means of expression are generally direct and simple, with a strong folk and popular vein. Camerata’s top soloists, voices and instruments, offer a unique experience at year’s end.
The Midnight Cry:
An American Christmas (2025)
Full of joy and delightful discovery, this holiday program revisits Camerata’s most popular Christmas offering. It features songs, hymns, New England anthems, and carols from the early years of the American republic. Drawn from a wide range of early tune books and manuscripts, this magnificent Christmas repertoire, our very own, is performed by an ensemble of superb vocal soloists and instrumentalists, under the direction of Anne Azéma.
Farewell Unkind:
Songs and Dances of John Dowland (1563-1626)
To celebrate the anniversary of John Dowland, lutenist to Queen Elizabeth the First and the greatest English song writer until Purcell and Britten, we present a program of airs, dances, hymns andfantaisies, for voices and instruments. With British lute virtuoso Nigel North.
The Boston Camerata is pleased to be participating in the Card to Culture program by extending discounts to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders. Use the discount codes below at checkout or call (617) 262-2092.
EBT cardholders use code CTCEBT at checkout for $5.00 tickets to Camerata concerts, with a limit of 2 tickets per patron. A collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services’ Department of Transitional Assistance. See the full list of participating organizations.
WIC cardholders use code CTCWIC at checkout for $5.00 tickets to Camerata concerts, with a limit of 2 tickets per patron. A collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Public Health’s MassWIC. See the full list of participating organizations.
ConnectorCare cardholders use code CTCCCC at checkout for $5.00 tickets to Camerata concerts, with a limit of 2 tickets per patron. A collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Massachusetts Health Connector. See the full list of participating organizations.