Ars et Amici

In October 2012, Hildegard von Bingen was officially recognized as a saint within the Catholic Church.

Viriditas, the Night Song women’s schola directed by Cristi Catt, presents an encore performance of Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum  paired with the world premiere of Patricia Van Ness’ Psalm 27 from her complete cycle Music from the Psalms.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), the ‘Sibyl of the Rhine’, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary and polymath. She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, sacred songs, and poems, while supervising brilliant miniature illuminations.

Composer Patricia Van Ness, acclaimed as a 21st-century Hildegard, draws upon elements of medieval and Renaissance music to create a signature voice that has been hailed by musicians, audiences, and critics around the world. As in medieval aesthetics, her music and poetry explore the relationship between beauty and the Divine.

This performance features Ars & Amici members Sheila Beardslee, Harriet Bridges and Debra Anderson.

Night Song is a weekly evening hour of meditation and contemplation, providing a refuge from the stress and frantic pace of daily lives. Through the stillness of the evening, burning candles and incense, bells, sacred art, and most especially music, Night Song brings serene beauty and quiet peace into human lives.

“Cristi Catt has captured the spirit of Hildegard with extraordinary insight” in describing her performance with ensemble Tapestry on Celestial Light, recorded with Telarc International. — Grammophone Magazine

Sunday, April 21 , 2013 at 7 PM
Night Song
First Church Congregational, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge
Donations    http://www.nightsong.org
MBTA Harvard Square

Ars & Amici toured Venice and the Dolomites in April 2012. In addition to singing masses and presenting concerts, we enjoyed the beautiful mountains and valleys of the Trentino/Alto-Adige region and the glories of Venice.

Our first performance was a concert in Santa Maria Assunta (Pieve) with Coro Sass Maor, a well-known men’s chorus in the Dolomite region. Our two ensembles joined forces to sing two of the region’s most beloved song, “Signore delle cime,” and “Amici miei” (set to the tune of Amazing Grace). For masses in the mountain villages and on the islands of Venice, we sang works by Gabrieli, Croce, Marenzio, Handl & Anonymous; our consort performed instrumental works by Gabrieli, Priuli, Banchieri  & others.  In public concerts, we sang secular works by Monteverdi, Marenzio and Luzzaschi as well.

If you are interested to travel with us next time,  please contact Ars & Amici’s program director, Sheila Beardslee, sheilabb [at] verizon [dot] net.