Circa 1600 Chorus

A TREASURY OF CULTURAL CONNECTIONS IN SCHROEDER HALL CONCERT

A unique presentation by Sonoma Bach and Circa 1600, the Treasury of Petrus Alamire, well might have been subtitled The Passion of Robert Worth. For it was truly that. This exceptionally dedicated musicologist and talented director led his formidable group of chamber musician-singers in two performances of 16th century Flemish motets that could not be surpassed in beauty, programmatic cohesiveness, or musical discipline.

The Nov. 19 concert in Schroeder Hall is reviewed here.

The Treasury, named after an anthology of Flemish Renaissance a capella music gathered and published by the Belgian musician-artist Petrus Alamire, is an actual physical book an anthology of vocal pieces by various 16th century Flemish Renaissance composers, the most famous being the immortal Josquin Deprez, and including his contemporaries Pierre Moulu, Dufay, Regis, Busnois, Basiron, Agricola, Obrecht, Compère, de La Rue, de Longueval, Prioris, de Févin, Penet, Divitis, Brumel, Lechner, Le Petit and Mouton.

The Treasury itself is an exquisite collection of richly illuminated manuscripts, copies of which were on display in the lobby. Several pages also adorned the printed program.

That this concert showcased a list of lesser-known Flemish names does not in the least suggest that they were lesser talents than their more famous and familiar European Renaissance counterparts. The Flemish sound and style are perhaps less flamboyant and more modest in scope and range, but the harmonically rich polyphony and melodic flow are potent and make for a beautiful and serene listening experience. I also enjoyed that the soprano and alto part ranges were lower and closer together.

Music from this period can tend to sound the same from composer to composer for one not schooled in distinguishing the stylistic and nationalistic idiosyncrasies of 16th century polyphony. But even so, each piece could be heard as a distinct movement of one huge composition, a lovely, meditative polyphonic meandering from composer to composer. Mr. Worth, in tackling the organization of the program, chanced upon a novel solution. The opening motet, Moulu’s Mater Floreat, is actually a hymn of praise by Moulu to his fellow composers and he calls them by name in the text. Mr. Worth cleverly followed that order, dividing the motet into two parts, as openers for each portion of the concert. The resulting order also coincidentally followed the story of Mary and the birth and worship of Christ perfectly, with a few Old Testament texts interspersed.

Circa 1600 is a group of 17 singers who produce the sound of consistently confident vocal ease and musical oneness. The soprano-alto timbre and blend is particularly superb. In this concert there was also the participation of associate music director Amanda McFadden, and she conducted a third of the program impressively, showing great depth and sensitivity to phrasing, text and dynamics.

A beautiful addition to the concert was Mr. Worth’s readings of complementary poetry and prose that wrapped the musical selections. He was obviously very moved by these words, as we all were, with emotions running high and raw in these last few weeks. It would have been useful to have had these readings cited in the program.

Mr. Worth’s driving passion appears to be in making connections: from music to literature, art, philosophy and religion, and ultimately from performer to audience; reminding us of the relevance that great art sustains across the centuries. In this concert he succeeded magnificently.