Princeton University Concerts Presents Gallicantus

Program

"The Word Unspoken," music of WILLIAM BYRD and his contemporaries

Literally meaning "rooster song" or "cock crow," Gallicantus takes its name from the term used in monastic antiquity for the office held just before dawn: a ceremony which evokes the renewal of life offered by the coming day. With members drawn from such renowned English vocal ensembles as Tenebrae (whom Princeton audiences heard last season), The Tallis Scholars and King's Singers, Gallicantus are as meticulous about providing context and insight for audiences as they are about crafting interpretation of the music they love. "The Word Unspoken" reveals the real William Byrd -- devout Catholic deeply troubled by the persecution of his brethren, and composer with expressive and emotive powers beyond any of his contemporaries. His music is paired with his most prominent contemporaries, including his great teacher Thomas Tallis and Philippe de Monte, the Flemish composer whose secret gift to Byrd of a setting of Psalm 136 expressed the solidarity of an entire continent, and moved Byrd to repay de Monte with a gift of his own setting of the same psalm. Listen to this ensemble but a few minutes and you will find yourself believing in the higher power.  Of Music.