ModernMedieval Voices Concert

This event is part of a two-day residency that includes a performance by the ensemble on Wednesday, February 11, and a workshop led by the artists on Thursday, February 12. Both events are FREE.

PERFORMANCE: Wednesday, February 11, 7:00 pm, All Souls’ Episcopal Church (Point Loma)

The SDEMS is proud to host ModernMedieval Voices for a two-day residency in San Diego.

ModernMedieval Voices is an all-female ensemble created by Dr. Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek to present programs that combine medieval chant and polyphony with new commissions and music from later eras. She is joined by singers drawn from some of the country’s leading early and new music ensembles, including Roomful of Teeth, Pomerium, and Trinity Wall Street Choir.

This a cappella program features some of Hildegard of Bingen’s most ecstatic chants, including O Jerusalem and O Viridissima Virga, reflecting her most important sources of inspiration: Mother Church, Saints, The Virgin Mary, and The Divine Feminine, as represented by Love and Wisdom. These chants are interwoven with new works by acclaimed composers Caroline Shaw, the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Caleb Burhans, “New York’s mohawked Mozart” (Time Out New York), Connor Elias Way, Daniel Thomas Davis, and Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek. The new works are based on, or influenced by, Hildegard’s philosophic writings, her music, and her visions, and each composer presents their own unique and personal interpretation. The resulting program is an exciting tour de force for both singers and audience.

“For those who miss the commitment and quality of Anonymous 4 in the realms of medieval and contemporary music, rest assured that ModernMedieval Voices have taken up the tapestry without dropping a stitch. The tradition continues, to borrow Hildegard’s words, per exempla puri soni—through examples of pure sound” (Anne E. Johnson, ClassicalVoiceAmerica.org)

This event is free and open to all thanks to the support of the City of San Diego.