The Hilliard Ensemble first sang in Middlebury many years ago in Mead Chapel, performing a beautiful, traditional program of early music, as well as a spectacular modern setting of Pico della Mirandola's "Oration on the Dignity of Man," with Edward Elgar's "The Long Day Closes" as a well-deserved encore. Since then, the group has made a number of admired recordings on the ECM label, among them two best selling ones with saxophonist Jan Garbarek, and other recordings of music by Gesualdo, Machaut, Lassus, Tallis, J. S. Bach, and Pärt.
We welcome the Hilliard Ensemble back to Middlebury on Tuesday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Mead Chapel. This time, they sing motets by J. S. Bach and works by Arvo Pärt, whose music they have championed and performed for many years. Though the group has typically consisted of four male singers, for this concert the group will add two women.
This free concert is offered as part of the Charles P. Scott Symposium, which also includes a public lecture by acclaimed composer, producer, and director Antony Pitts earlier in the day. Pitts will compare Bach and Pärt, with a focus on their "sacred duty." This lecture takes place on Tuesday, April 26 at 4:30 p.m. in the Robert A. Jones House.