Choral Evensong for the Feast of the Ascension - Thursday, May 9th at 7:30pm

The Bach+ Series, a partnership between St. Anne’s Church, Annapolis, and Live Arts Maryland, offers excerpts from Monteverdi's famous 1610 Vespers (Vespro della Beata Vergine), one of the most significant compositions in the early Baroque on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 7:30 PM at St. Anne’s Church.

As with Faure’s Requiem in November 2023 and Bach’s St. John Passion this past March, the work will be presented within a liturgical context—in this case the Anglican tradition of Choral Evensong—incorporating the psalms and sacred concerti that Monteverdi wrote for the related Roman Catholic service of Vespers.  In both Vespers and Choral Evensong, psalms and canticles are sung or chanted as part of the service. In his collection, Monteverdi used traditional and modern (for 1610!) musical techniques, such as concertato, which paired expressive writing for solo voices or groups of voices with that for the full choir. Monteverdi also used basso continuo, a new form of musical accompaniment that became popular during his lifetime, one that moved away from strict “note against note” counterpoint to a more fluid, harmonic motion that became the basis for Baroque and early Classical music.

This Choral Evensong will feature Psalms 110 and 122, three sacred concerti, and the 6-voice Magnificat. By placing Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers within the context of Choral Evensong, Bach+ is honoring the timeless, spiritual nature of the music in a way that will be transformative for listeners.

J. Ernest Green, Artistic Director of Live Arts Maryland and Music Director at St. Anne’s, the Bach+ vocal consort, and members of St. Anne’s Choir and Annapolis Chorale Chamber Chorus present Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610) (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin), a compendium of vocal styles matched only by Bach’s B Minor Mass.