Musica Spei presents

RENAISSANCE ECHOES
SACRED CHORAL MUSIC OF THE OLD WORLD,
NEW WORLD AND TODAY’S WORLD
Program

Lamentations of Jeremiah (Aleph, Mem, Zain)................................................ Thomas Crecquillon (c. 1490-1557)

O magnum mysterium..................................................................................... Cristobal de Morales (c. 1500-1553)

Salve Regina .......................................................................................................... Pedro Bermúdez (1558-c. 1650)

Four works from the New World, arranged by Christopher Moroney

Hanacpachap cussicuinin ................................................ compiled by Juan Pérez Bocanegra (fl. c. 1598-1631)
Dios itlazo nantzine..............................................................................Don Hernando Franco (fl. c. 1575-1585)
Eso rigor e repente .......................................................................................... Gaspar Fernandes (c. 1570-1629)
Dame albriçia mano Anton ......................................................................................................Gaspar Fernandes

Vexilla Regis..........................................................................................................Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599)

Intermission

Lamentations of Jeremiah (Iod, Gimel, Daleth, He).................................................................Thomas Crecquillon

Salve Regina ................................................................................Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525 - 1594)

Blazhen muzh........................................................................................... traditional Orthodox chant (13th century)

The Lord’s Prayer ...................................................... ancient Aleut tune/M. Dubinsky, arr. Michael Lekanoff, Sr.

Three Works from the Republic of Georgia

Shen Khar Venakhi (region of Guria)........................................................................... traditional (12th century)
Shen Khar Venakhi (region of Khartli-Khaketia)......................................................... traditional (12th century)
Kviria (region of Svanetia) ............................................................................................. traditional (9th century)

Magnificat (1989) ...................................................................................................................... Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

In the centuries before recordings, radio waves and Internet connections, musical styles were often disseminated through
the travels of performers and composers, who brought their musical influences with them but who were also changed by
their new experiences and surroundings. The dominant style of music in Western Europe during the 15th and 16th century
was Franco-Flemish polyphony, exemplified by the works of composers such as Josquin, Crecquillon and Lassus. Italian
and Spanish composers, including Palestrina and Morales, were profoundly influenced by this style, and incorporated it
into their own compositions while adding their own unique voice. The style crossed the Atlantic with Spanish and
Portuguese missionaries, who, hoping to convert the Native American Indian tribes and African slaves in the New World,
composed religious songs incorporating the converts’ own melodies, rhythms and languages. Their efforts were
intensified following the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the Nahua Indian Juan Diego in 1531. Similarly,
ancient music of the Russian Orthodox Church crossed the Bering Strait with missionaries, exerting a major influence on
the music of the Aleut, Tlingit and Yupik tribes of Alaska. Centuries later, the influence of Gregorian chant and Franco-
Flemish music was profoundly experienced by the contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt; his merging of ancient
and modern styles of composition with that of his own heritage has, in the Magnificat that concludes this evening’s
program, produced a most dramatic example of the transformation of music as it echoes across both space and time.

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Lamentations of Jeremiah Crecquillon
Crecquillon was recognized by his contemporaries as being one of the most important Franco-Flemish composers of the
generation between Josquin and Lassus, and his works were among the most widely circulated of his day. A contemporary
of Morales, he probably spent over a year in Spain as part of Charles V’s entourage. Best known today for his more than
200 French chansons, Crecquillon also composed a highly regarded, yet rarely performed, set of Lamentations.

Aleph. Defecerunt prae lacrimis oculi mei, conturbata sunt viscera mea, effusum est in terra iecur meum super
contritionem populi mei, cum deficeret parvulus et lactens in plateis oppidi. Matribus suis dixerunt: Ubi est
triticum et vinum? Cum exhalarent animas suas in sinu matrum suarum. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad
Dominum Deum tuum.
Mem. Cui comparabo te vel cui assimilabo te, filia Jerusalem? Magna est velut mare contritio tua, quis
medebitur tui?
Zain. Prophetae tui viderunt tibi falsa nec aperiebant iniquitatem tuam, ut te ad paenitentiam provocarent.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Aleph. My eyes wasted away with weeping, my stomach shuddered, my bile poured forth on the ground because
of the ruin of the daughters of my people, as infants fainted in the squares of the citadel. They kept saying to
their mothers, “Where is the wheat and wine?” as they poured out their souls on their mothers’ breasts.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
Mem. To what shall I compare you or to what shall I liken you, daughter of Jerusalem? For great as the sea is
your destruction, who shall heal you?
Zain. The visions your prophets had on your behalf were false, they never pointed out your sin to ward off your
exile. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.

O magnum mysterium Morales

Spain was deeply influenced by the Franco-Flemish style. Morales, perhaps the greatest Spanish composer of the 16th
century, is considered to be “thoroughly Flemish in style and technique but utterly individual in manner,” and a “true
successor of Josquin.” His works formed the basis of – and had most lasting influence on - music performed in New
World churches and cathedrals.

O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum jacentem in praesipio:
Beata Virgo Maria, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Domine, audivi auditum tuum et
timui: consideravi opera tua, et expavi: in medio duorum animalium.
O great mystery and wondrous sacrament, that the animals should witness the birth of the Lord in the manger.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, whose womb was deemed worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Lord, I have heard
your voice and have been afraid. I have seen your works, and feared. I am between two beasts.

Salve regina Bermúdez

Pedro Bermúdez was a Spanish composer who traveled to the New World and became Chapelmaster at Cuzco, mountain
capital of the Inca; he subsequently held the same post in Guatemala and died in Puebla, the principal city of colonial
Mexico .The Salve Regina chant used in this work is one of numerous versions then sung in churches throughout Spain

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae: vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules, filii Hevae. Ad
te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes
oculos ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O Clemens.
O pia. O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail Queen, mother of mercy: our life, sweetness and hope, hail. To you do we cry, exiled children of Eve. To
you do we sigh, lamenting and weeping in this valley of tears. Therefore, as our advocate, turn your merciful
eyes upon us. And Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb; reveal him to us when our exile ends. O merciful. O
loving. O sweet Virgin Mary.

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Hanacpachap cussicuinin (Sung in 17th century Quechua) Bocanegra
Published in Lima, Peru and believed to be the first piece of polyphonic music printed in the Western Hemisphere, this
work was compiled by a Franciscan tertiary who spent 40 years ministering to the descendants of the Inca in Peru.
Pachamama was, for the Inca, the great life-giving Mother who loved and took care of all her children’s needs.
Missionaries made much of her similarity to the Virgin Mary; this work was sung as a processional on feast days
honoring the Virgin. The text is in Quechua, the imperial language of the Inca.

1. Hanacpachap cussicuinin, huaran cacta muchascaiqui, Yupairuru pucocmallqui, runa cunap suyacuinin,
callpannacpa quemi cuinin, Huaciascaita. 2. Uyarihuai muchascaita Diosparampan Diospamaman, Yuractocto
hamancaiman, Yupascalla, collpascaita Huahuarquiman suyuscaita Ricuchillai.
1. For the happiness of the upper world I’ll kiss you a thousand times. The hope of the human race is an old tree
that produces fruit in abundance; sustenance that gives strength. 2. What I ask for: listen to my suffering,
Mother and guide of God, flower and white light. Remember I keep watch over you, waiting for you to reveal
your son.

Dios itlazo nantzine (Sung in Classical Nahuatl) Franco

Franco was the first notable Chapelmaster in Mexico. Born in Spain, he traveled to Guatemala, and spent his last ten
years as Chapelmaster at the new and incomplete Cathedral in Tenochtitlan, which later became Mexico City. This is one
of the earliest extant works by a composer residing in Mexico, and is a simple Aztec hymn to the Virgin .

Dios itlazo nantzine, cemihcac ichpochtle, cenca timitz totlatlauhtilya mato panximotlatolti. Yn il huicac
ixpantzinco, inmotlazo conetzin, Jesu Christo. Dios itlazo nantzine, cemihcac ichpochtle, cenca timitz
totlatlauhtilya mato panximotlatolti. Ca om pa timo yeztica y mi na huactzinco; yn motlazo conetzin y Jesu
Christo. Dios itlazo nantzine, cemihcac ichpochtle, cenca timitz totlatlauhtilya mato panximotlatolti. Yn il
huicac ixpantzinco, inmotlazo conetzin, Jesu Christo.
Beloved Mother of God, eternal Virgin, most exalted, may you intercede at the appointed time in the realm of
the dead for us and our ancestors. In heaven you are in the honored presence of your beloved offspring, Jesus
Christ; because there your heart is close to your beloved child, Jesus Christ.

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Eso rigor e repente (Sung in 17th century Latin American Portuguese, Spanish and West African) Fernandes
This song describes black Guineans singing and dancing on Christmas Eve as they bring Christmas gifts to the Christ
child. One of the few villancicos from this period to include direct and indirect references to slavery, the Africans’ lowly
status in Puebla, and to an ethnic bias, rivalry and animosity that apparently existed between Guinean and Angolan
Africans, this work is nonetheless filled with anticipation and hope for a new and better world promised by the birth of
Christ. Fernandez was well known for utilizing text genres such as the negro, negrito and guineo, and his music has
served as a invaluable historical record of the African musical legacy to the Americas.

Eso rigor e repente. Juro aqui se ni yo siquito. Que aunque nace poco branquito turu somo noso parente. No
tememo branco grande. Tenle primo, tenle calje! Husihe husiha paraçia. Toca negriyo tamboritiyo. Canta
parente! Sarabanda tenge que tenge, sum bacasu cucumbe. Ese noche branco seremo’ese noche branco seremo!
O jesu que risa tenemo! O que risa Santo Tomé! Vamo negro de Guinea a lo pesebrito sola, no vamo negro de
Angola que sa turu negla fea. Queremo que niño vea negro pulizo y galano, que como sa noso hermano tenemo
ya fantasia. Toca viyano y follia baylaremo alegremente! Gargantiya regranate yegamo a lo siquitiyo, manteyya
rebocico confite curubacate. Y de curiate faxu e la guantee camisa, capisayta de frisa canutiyo de tabaco. Toca
presa pero beyaco guitarria alegremente! Toca parente! Sarabanda tenge que tenge….
That sudden hardship [enslavement?]. Certainly here I’m not favored. But although the child was born a little
white, we all amount to brothers. We have no fear of the great white one. Come on, cousin, put on your shoes,
get dressed! Play, black children, play the little drum. Sing brothers and sisters! Estribillo: Dance, make noise,
have fun, Sum bacasu cucumbe. Tonight we’ll all be white! Oh Jesus, what laughter we have! Oh, what
laughter, Saint Thomas! Copla 1: Let’s go, Guinean blacks, to the little manger by ourselves. Don’t let the
Angolan blacks go because they’re all unpleasant-looking. We want the child to see only polished and
handsome blacks, such as our brothers, who already have fine clothes. Play a Spanish song and gaily dance.
Copla 2: Necklaces of precious stones we bring to the little one, a mantilla and little shawl, candy and dried
fruit. And we bring a small sash, gloves, shirt, a little hooded cape made of wool, and a little cane pipe for
tobacco. Play fast but skillfully on the merry guitar! Play, everybody.

Dame albriçia mano Anton (Sung in 17th Latin American Portuguese & Spanish) Fernandes
Portuguese-born Fernandes was Chapelmaster of the Guatemala Cathedral, and subsequently spent many years at the
Cathedral in Puebla. He was in charge of choirs composed of female religious orders, indigenous Mexicans and former
African slaves. This song is clearly influenced by African rhythms, and describes a group of West Africans making their
way to the manger to dance for the Christ Child.

Dame albriçia mano Anton que Jisu naçe en Guinea. Quien lo pari? Una lunçuya y un viejo su pagre son.
Yebamo le culaçion, yegamo aya, que’ese cosa me panta. Hé hé hé y como que yegare y mirare, Ha ha ha y
como que yegara y lo mirara, y turu lu negro le bayara. Su magre sacomo treya ya lo niño parindero, cumu lubo
y orandero las mi guitalida eya. Ya bullimos pie por beya, yegamo aya que ese cosa me panta. Hé hé hé y como
que yegare y mirare, y turu lu negro le bayara. Turu negroco gayero subi luego locagaya, ye bemole asi su un
sayo unas panas y un sumbrero. Yo quere mira primero, yegamo aya, que’ese cosa me panta. Hé hé hé y como
que yegare y mirare, y turu lu negro le bayara.
Be joyful, brother Anton, that Jesus is born in Guinea! Who gave birth to him? A virgin and an old man are his
parents. Let’s bring him candles; let’s go there! Sing it to me! He-he-he! and this is how we’ll go and see. Ha-
ha-ha! And this is how we’ll arrive and behold him, and all the blacks will dance for him, heh-heh-heh! His
mother is like a star; already the newborn baby is like a modest and holy man. I’ve got my little guitar now! My
merry feet are dancing already; let’s go there! Ha-ha-ha!…And this is how we’ll arrive and behold him, and all
the blacks will dance for him, heh-heh-heh! All blacks with high spirits now raise great merriment! Soft and
smooth as velvet are his tunic and hat. I want to see him first! Let’s go there! Ha-ha-ha!…And this is how we’ll
arrive and behold him, and all the blacks will dance for him.

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Vexilla Regis Guerrero
Guerrero, who was tutored by Cristobal Morales, became one of the most influential and respected composers in Spain
during the reign of Philip II. The music of both composers appears in surviving New World choir books, and was sung in
churches throughout the New World. This processional motet for the Passion season is included in one of the Guatemala
choir books in a version that differs in a variety of details from the original Spanish version performed tonight.

Vexilla Regis prodeunt: fulget crucis misterium, quo carne carnis conditor suspensus est patibulo. Quo
vulneratus insuper mucrone diro Ianceae, ut nos lavaret crimine, manavit unda sanguine. Impleta sunt quae
concinit David fideli carmine dicens: In nationibus regnavit a ligno Deus. Arbor decora et fulgida ornate Regis
purpura electa digno stipite tam sancta membra tangere. Beata cuius bracchiis saecli pependit pretium, statera
facta corporis, praedamque tulit tartari. O crux, ave, spes unica, hoc Passionis tempore auge piis iustitiam,
reisque dona veniam. Te summa, Deus, Trinitas, collaudet omnis spiritus: quos per crucis mysterium salvas,
rege per saecula. Amen.
The banners of the King advance: the mystery of the cross shines forth. He who was the creator of all flesh,
flesh himself, was hanged. He, whose side was wounded by the cruel point of the spear, that he might wash
away our sins, gave forth water and blood. It is fulfilled in David’s true song that prophesied, saying: Among
the nations, God has reigned from a tree. O tree of light and beauty, adorned with royal purple, chosen from
stock worthy to touch the sacred limbs. The blessed tree, upon whose branches hung the ransom of the world,
was made the balance for his body, and bore away the spoils of hell. Hail, o cross, our only hope; in this
Passiontide, increase justice to the pious, grant forgiveness to sinners. God, most high Trinity, may every soul
praise you: forever reign over those you save through the mystery of the cross. Amen.

INTERMISSION

Lamentations of Jeremiah Crecquillon

Iod. Adhaesit lingua lactentis ad palatum eius in siti, parvuli eius petierunt panem, et non erat qui frangeret eis.
Gimel. Filii Sion incliti et amicti auro primo, quomodo reputati sunt in vasa testea, opus manuum figuli.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Daleth. Viae Sion lugent, eo quod non sint qui veniant ad sollemnitatem; omnes portae eius destructae,
sacerdotes eius gementes, virgines eius squalidae.
He. Facti sunt hostes eius in capite, inimici eius locupletati sunt nimis, quia Dominus locutus est super eam.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, convertere ad Dominum Deum tuum.
Iod. The tongue of the baby at the breast sticks to his palate from thirst, the little ones have asked for bread and
there was none to give it to them.
Gimel. The noble sons of Zion, and they that were clothed with the best gold, are now reckoned no better than
earthenware vessels made by the potter. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.
Daleth. The roads to Zion are in mourning; no one comes to her festivals now. Her gateways are all deserted;
her priests groan; her virgins are grief-stricken.
He. Her oppressors now have the upper hand, her enemies enjoy prosperity because the Lord has spoken against
her. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, turn to the Lord your God.

Salve regina (For text and translation, see Bermúdez in first half of program) Palestrina

The great Italian composer Palestrina was also greatly influenced by Franco-Flemish music, and is considered by some
to have perfected its unique style of polyphony. He was, without doubt, the most popular non-Spanish composer in the
entire neo-Hispanic New World, and this Salve Regina is one of the very few works by a non-Spanish composer to appear
in the Guatemala choir books, which otherwise contain numerous settings of the same text by New World composers.

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Blazhen muzh (Sung in Old Church Slavonic) traditional Orthodox chant
This chant is attributed to 13th century monks of the great Cave Monastery (literally built in a cave near Kiev). The text is
Old Church Slavonic, setting three verses of Psalm 1 and interpolating 37 Alleluias; both “3” and “7” are significant
numbers in Christian numerology.

Blazhen muzh yizhe n'e yid'e na sov'et n'eches't'ivikh. Yako v'es't' ghospot' put' prav'ednikh, yi put'
n'eches't'ivikh pog'ibn'et. Rabotayt'e ghospod'ev'i so strakhom, yi raduyt'es'a yemu str'ep'etom. All'iluya, slava
t'eb'e bozhe.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his
law he meditates day and night. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will
perish. Alleluia, glory to thee God.

The Lord’s Prayer (Sung in Aleut) ancient Aleut tune/M. Dubinsky, arr. M. Lekanoff
Research suggests that the Aleuts migrated to Alaska from Siberia before 4,000 B.C., and inhabited what are today known
as the Aleutian Islands. In the late 18th century, the Russian Orthodox Church established its first mission in North
America at Kodiak Island in Alaska. Their monks and priests faced difficult physical conditions, language barriers, and
shamanistic traditions in their mission to convert the native Indian population. The Russian Orthodox musical and
cultural influences on the Aleut, Tlingit and Yupik tribes of Alaska continue to this day; their use of harmony and, at
times, polyphony, is found very rarely among the music of native American Indian tribes.

Tumaaniin Adax, aman akuxtxin inin kungin Asaan Amchugasadaaxta: Angaliin aqaaxta, anuxtanatxin
malgaaxtan, inim kugan kayux tanam kugan: Qalgadam anuxtanaa ngiin aqacha wayaam: kayux tumaaniin adun
ngiin ignida, amakun Tuman kayux malgaligiinngiin aduginan ignidakun, kayux tuman suglatachxiignaxtxin,
taga adaluudam ilaan tuman agichaa. Amiin.
Our Father, above us in the heavens, Thy name it is to be exceedingly praised. Thy daylight is coming. Thy
ways as they are done in heaven also be done on earth. Give us thy food thy desires us to have today. Also our
debts, store them away; those we will also, that have done to us, the debtors, we store their debts away. Also,
we…do not let us be taken but, from deceitfulness, rescue us.

Shen Khar Venakhi (from the regions of Guria and Khartli - Khaketia, sung in Georgian) traditional
Georgian songs traditionally guide and celebrate the rituals of work and play, and are generally tied to such social
activities as work, travel, weddings, dancing, eating, etc. Many of these songs have lost their original function but are
now sung at the supra, a traditional Georgian feast. The combination of food, wine and a series of elaborate toasts are
said to lead to an elevated, almost mystical state in which the sound of the voices and the close harmonies resonate
through the body, and make a connection to an ancient yet common past. Georgian church music was influenced by the
Byzantine church since the fourth century AD but is the only country in its region to utilize harmony, which probably
originated with an already developed pre-Christian singing tradition. Traditionally sung at weddings, this text is a hymn
to Mary and attributed to King Demetre I (reigned 1125-1156); each setting comes from a different region of Georgia.

Shen khar venakhi, akhlad aqvavebuli. Norchi ketili, Edensu shina nerguli. Alva suneli, samotkhesa mosuli.
Daia tavit tvisit mzeie khar da ga brtsqinu veiebuli.
Thou art a garden, newly blossomed out. The beneficial root arisen in Eden. [Thou art] a fragrant poplar grown
in paradise. And thou art thyself a brilliant sun.

Kviria (from the region of Svanetia, sung in Georgian) traditional

An ancient, pagan hymn to the sun still sung at funerals, this setting is a 20th century reconstruction of oral traditions
dating back to the ninth century or earlier, and is sung to celebrate the long and fruitful life of men who are survived by
all their sons and grandsons.

O Kviria! Mizh detsesh Kviria! Gimlitsish Kviria! Mizh Kviria oria orieo!
Oh, Kviria, sun of the heavens, Kviria – almighty Kviria, Kviria the sun!
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Magnificat Pärt
Considered to be one of today’s greatest composers, Arvo Pärt was born in Paide, Estonia. After years of composing
serial music, he withdrew from composition for several years to study the works of such great Renaissance Flemish
composers as Machaut, Josquin, Ockeghem and Obrecht. The Magnificat (1989) is one of his many recent choral works
inspired both by Gregorian chant and music of the Renaissance, and by the ancient and more modern traditions of his
heritage.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo; quia respexit humilitatem
ancillae suae, ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. Quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est et
sanctum nomen eius, et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. Fecit potentiam in brachio
suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui, deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles, esurientes implevit
bonis, et divites dimisit inanes. Suscepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae sicut locutus est ad
patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula. Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the lowliness of
his hand-maiden. For behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has
magnified me, and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him, throughout all generations. He
hath showed strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put
down the mighty from their seat, and has exalted the humble and meek. He has filled the hungry with good
things, and the rich he has sent empty away. Remembering his mercy, he has helped his servant Israel, as he
promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, forever. My soul magnifies the Lord.

Acknowledgements: Jim Blake; Richard and Nora Dauenhauer; Joe Finetti; Maggie Holland; Michael Lekanoff, Sr.;
Christopher Moroney; Krista Cornish Scott; Sibley Music Library of the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester;
Robert Snow; Robert M. Stevenson; University of Chicago Press; World Library Publications.

Jeanne Beddoe, Alexandra Bermel, Jim Blake, Lynette Blake, Krista Cornish Scott,
Tina Curren, Sharon Emerson, Joe Finetti, Christopher Gold,* Patrick Holland,
Eric Lobenstine, Tamela Nelson, Richard Sauvain, Darlene Simmons, Brian Story
*Rehearsal Facilitator
Artistic Guidance: Steve Marcus
Musica Spei (Music of Hope), now in its ninth season, was formed in the summer of 1995 to explore the vast
but largely unperformed repertoire of sacred, unaccompanied choral masterworks of the 15th, 16th and early
17th centuries; in 2004-05, the group will celebrate its 10th anniversary. With a repertoire of well over 100
masses, motets and chants from around the world, Musica Spei has also occasionally performed music that is
much earlier and later in origin, as in one recent concert with Madrigalia of music by Taverner, Tavener and
Vaughan Williams. The goal of Musica Spei is to share the magnificence and beauty of this mostly unfamiliar
music with a wider audience and to demonstrate the music's vibrancy and emotional impact in today's world.
Musica Spei, which is in residence at Saint Anne Church, performs without a conductor and gives several
concerts each season at various locations in the Greater Rochester, Buffalo and Canandaigua communities in
addition to its yearly concert series at Saint Anne. This season, Musica Spei made its formal concert debut at the
Memorial Art Gallery with two performances of music inspired by the art and sculpture surrounding the
Fountain Court. In addition, the group released its first CD: From the British Isles to the Black Sea:
Renaissance Choral Music Performed Live by Musica Spei. Every summer since 1995, Musica Spei has
sponsored Renaissance Summer Sings at Saint Anne Church for members of the community who enjoy singing
this repertoire. The growth and development of Musica Spei, a member of the Greater Rochester Choral
Consortium, has been made possible by the support of the parish community of Saint Anne Church and by a
continuing series of grants from the New York State Legislature, the New York State Council on the Arts, and
the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester.
For information about future concerts, Renaissance Summer Sings and the CD,
please fill out a postcard located at each of the entrances, call 585-244-7764 or visit www.musicaspei.org.