#folger consort

[eopederson]

Snow Moon Rising Over Towers of the Washington National Cathedral, 8 February 2020.

End of an amazing week. Some of it was quite horrible, for reasons all are familiar with. Some was quite wonderful, especially for me in the realm of music. During the past week I have been privileged to hear the Kreisler Guarneri de Gesu violin, an instrument judged by some to the best in the world, played by two different master violinists. On the second of those occasions there was a world premier of a work by Beethoven (yes, the composer born 250 years ago). Saturday evening evening we went to the Cathedral to hear the Folger Consort joined by one of my absolute favorite groups the young British singers of Stile Antico in a concert including works by Palestrina and Monteverdi. Awesome is too feeble a word for the experience. Living in the Washington, DC area has lots of disadvantages, but it also offers some truly magnificent experiences. The rising of what my wife says was a “super moon” over the cathedral encapsulates  the wonderful part of the week.

[attendtobeauty]

Jehannot de L’escurel composed this wonderfully lyrical work of the early 14th century. 

[musicwithoutborders]

William Kemp /Folger Consort, Kemp's Jig I When Birds Do Sing, 1992

[attendtobeauty]

From PBS Learning Media:

“The Bransle, or Branle, is an old French country dance that became popular in the royal courts of France and England during the Renaissance.”

[eopederson]

Opening slide for a concert of medieval French music by the Folger Consort, Washington, DC, 2017.

As always, the Consort gave a fine performance of early music. The slide show was used to introduce translations of the lyrics written in old French and Occitan for music written in the 10-13th centuries.