Trio Mediaeval - Ann Arbor

Pre-concert talk begins at 6:45 pm

Between Two Worlds: On the Cusp of the Ars Nova
As the Ars Antiqua gave way to the Ars Nova, the fixed movements of the mass ’ordinaries’ were increasingly sung to polyphony (and more often than not by men). The so-called Messe de Tournai is one of the earliest examples of a set of polyphonic mass movements that may have been performed together as a cycle in the same service by the 14th century monks of Tournai cathedral. As the pieces sit beside each other in the manuscript we can imagine the Tournai singers putting together their favourite mass ordinaries as a cycle. It would soon become the norm for one composer to create the whole mass cycle and put their name to it.

About the Artists
The crystalline voices of Trio Mediaeval have captivated audiences since the group was founded in Oslo in 1997. The Grammy-nominated trio’s core repertoire features sacred monophonic and polyphonic medieval music from England, Italy and France; contemporary works written for the ensemble; and traditional Norwegian, Swedish and Icelandic ballads and songs. The group’s fruitful relationship with the legendary ECM Records, collaborative spirit, and busy touring schedule has earned them worldwide renown. “Singing doesn’t get more unnervingly beautiful,” wrote Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle, who declared their San Francisco debut “among the musical highlights of the year.” He added, “To hear the group’s note-perfect counterpoint – as pristine and inviting as clean, white linens – is to be astonished at what the human voice is capable of.”

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