Legendae sanctorum
Veneration of the Saints in Renaissance Polyphony
Vyšehradská 49/320, Praha 2 – Nové Město
Artists
Helen Ashby, Kate Ashby, Rebecca Hickey – soprano
Cara Curran, Emma Ashby, Rosie Parker – alto
Matthew Howard, Benedict Hymas, Jonathan Hanley – tenor
Gareth Thomas, James Arthur, Nathan Harrison – bass
Programme
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (ca 1525–1594)
Credo (Missa papae Marcelli)
Cantantibus organis
Gregorio Allegri (1582–1652)
Miserere mei
William Byrd (ca 1540–1623)
Justorum animae
Tomás Luis de Victoria (ca 1548–1611)
O quam gloriosum
John Taverner (ca 1490–1545)
O Wilhelme, pastor bone
Jerónimo de Aliseda (ca 1548–1591)
Beatus Franciscus
Ambrosio Cotes (ca 1550–1603)
O lux et decus Hispaniae
Thomas Crecquillon (ca 1505–1557)
Andreas Christi famulus
Nicolas Gombert (ca 1495–1560)
Virgo sancta Katherina
Gregorian Chant
Gaudeamus omnes
Timete Dominum
Justorum animae
Beati mundo corde
etc.
Annotation
“In honorem Sanctorum…!” The opening concert of the 27th edition of the Summer Festivities of Early Music will resonate within the ethereal acoustics of the Church of the Virgin Mary and Slavic Patrons in the Emmaus Monastery. The unforgettable experience will be provided by the phenomenal London ensemble Stile Antico, performing in the Czech Republic for the very first time. The cornerstone of the evening will be a tribute to the saints – great men and women of faith who were regarded as models of pious living, and whose lives are recounted in a specific literary genre: legends. The concert will include works sung in honour of St. James, St. Andrew, St. Cecilia, St. Catherine, and St. Francis of Assisi, the 800th anniversary of whose death will be marked in 2026.
The programme, curated specifically for this occasion, will present repertoire by the English, Franco-Flemish, Italian, and Spanish masters of Renaissance polyphony, presenting a selection of “musical hagiography” of the 16th and early 17th centuries. It will be framed by the Credo from the Missa Papae Marcelli and Allegri’s Miserere mei – works that are themselves shrouded in numerous musical-historical myths and legends. Let yourself be absorbed by a mosaic of twelve voices, in which music, history, and Christian mysticism merge in a single stream of pure beauty!
Venue
Vyšehradská 49/320, Praha 2 – Nové Město
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Stile Antico
Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its twelve members have thrilled audiences on four continents with their fresh and vibrant performances of Renaissance polyphony. Its bestselling recordings have earned accolades including the Gramophone Award for Early Music, the Diapason d’or de l’année and the Edison Klassiek Award. The ensemble has received three Grammy nominations, and has performed live at the 60th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden.
Based in London, Stile Antico enjoys a particularly close association with Wigmore Hall, and has performed at the BBC Proms, Buckingham Palace, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Palais des beaux-arts de Bruxelles, the Cité de la musique in Paris, the Philharmonie Luxembourg, the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional de Música, as well as at many of Europe’s leading festivals. The ensemble also tours frequently in North America, performing regularly in Boston and New York; other appearances include the Ravinia Festival, Washington’s National Cathedral and Library of Congress, Vancouver’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and concert series spanning twenty-five US states. Stile Antico has also appeared in Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Macau, and Hong Kong.
Stile Antico’s performances are praised for their immediacy, expressive commitment and imaginative response to text: qualities which arise from the ensemble’s uniquely collaborative working style. The ensemble is also noted for its compelling programming, which draws out thematic connections between works to shine new light on Renaissance music. In addition to its core repertoire, Stile Antico has premiered works by Kerry Andrew, Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Joanna Marsh, John McCabe, Nico Muhly, Giles Swayne, and Huw Watkins. The ensemble’s diverse range of collaborators includes Fretwork, the Folger Consort, Marino Formenti, B’Rock Orchestra, Rihab Azar, and Sting.
Stile Antico is passionate about sharing its repertoire and working style with the widest possible audience. The ensemble directs regular summer courses and Come and Sing days, leads intensive classes Youth Consort for talented young singers, and is a proud member of the European early music network REMA. Recent highlights include gala twentieth birthday concerts at Wigmore Hall, the Boston Early Music Festival and AMUZ Antwerpen, and an album celebrating Palestrina’s quincentenary, which won the coveted Jahrespreis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.