Thursday, 28 March, 2024 at 8:00 pm
In a Strange Land
Actus Humanus
Dwór Artusa, Gdansk, Poland
Saturday, 25 April, 2020 at 7:00 pm
UC Santa Barbara
Trinity Episcopal Church, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
The sixteenth century saw an unprecedented number of female rulers. From the powerful Medici women in Italy to the great Tudor queens of England, women across Europe held more power than ever before. Many of these monarchs used their patronage to facilitate the production of music of exquisite beauty by the finest composers of the day, extravagant showcases of their power contrasting with intimate and personal compositions. The century also saw the first publications of music by female composers, often Italian nuns, whose convents supported musical groups of astonishing ability.
In this fascinating programme, Stile Antico shines a light on an often-neglected repertoire, focusing on the music written for three Queens, Margaret of Austria, Mary I and Elizabeth I, bringing to life women from the Renaissance through song.
Raffaella Alleotti: Exaudi Deus orationem mean
Sulpitia Cesis: Cantemus Domino
Maddalena Casulana: O notte, o ciel, o mar
Pierre de la Rue: Absalon fili mi
Anon/Margaret of Austria: Si je souspire
Leonora d’Este: Sicut lilium inter spinas
Thomas Tallis: Loquebantur variis linguis
John Sheppard: Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria
Leonora d’Este: Veni sponsa Christi
Sulpitia Cesis: Ascendo ad patrem
Maddalena Casulana: Vagh’ amorosi augelli
William Byrd: O Lord, make thy servant Elizabeth
John Taverner: Christe Jesu, pastor bone
John Bennet: All creatures now are merry minded
Richard Carlton: Calm was the air
Leonora d’Este: O salutaris hostia
Raffaella Alleotti: Angelus ad pastores ait
Joanna Marsh: Dialogo and Quodlibet