TORONTO, November 21, 2002 -- The Glendon Musical Ensemble is presenting 15th Century Musical Gems, Wednesday November 27, at 7:30 p.m., in the Glendon Gallery, located on the first floor of the Glendon College Manor, 2275, Bayview Ave (at Lawrence Ave. E.).
The Glendon Musical Ensemble was formed in 1999 through the Office of Student Services, Artistic and Cultural Affairs of Glendon College (York University). The Ensemble, directed by Geoffrey McGuire, brings together Glendon students, faculty, alumni and friends in order to explore the musical heritage of the past and sensitize the Glendon community and the public to the wonderfully expressive qualities of less known repertoires. The Ensemble’s size and make-up varies according to individual program needs, drawing from the College’s culturally and artistically diverse population.
15th Century Musical Gems - For more than 100 years, the Duchy of Burgundy was one of the most powerful states in all of Europe and its court one of the most lavish. The Burgundian Dukes were true patrons of the arts. With their patronage, the music composed at the Burgundian Court was unparalleled at the time and inspired generations of composers. The Dukes, who saw themselves as inheritors and defenders of a chivalric social order nearing its end, sought to revive that order and its code of honour and behaviour. In this environment, Burgundian music achieved a high level of restrained refinement, emphasizing melody, grace, and balance. It embodied the poetic ideals of late medieval chivalry. The Burgundian court was truly Europe’s most illustrious, and the quality of Burgundian musical life played no small part in conveying the message.
For the performance, the Ensemble has selected compositions typical of this period. Most of the pieces are secular songs that were composed by the best musicians of the time and represent a broad range of secular styles, from the rhythmically complex Ars Subtilior of the late 14th century to the more mundane and humanistic approaches of Christopher Columbus and Leonardo da Vinci’s time.
The open-minded listener will discover in 15th century music a richness and subtlety of phrasing through which the period speaks to us, bringing the past to life in a way books and movies can scarcely rival. This music deserves to be played and heard, if only to remind us that Medieval Europe was not only an age of barbaric violence, but also a period of subtlety, sophistication, romance, passion and poetry.
The public will also have the opportunity to see the works of the exhibit called Regards (Viewpoint) by five Franco-Ontarian women : Jocelyne Belcourt Salem, Céline Blais Maltais, Colette Jacques, Colette Laliberté and La Gaan, who express their vision of contemporary society.
Concert under the patronage of the Consulate General of France in Toronto.
Seating is limited. Reservations : 416-487-6721
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For further information, please contact:
| Martine Rheault | |
| Arts Coordinator of Glendon College | |
| York University | |
| 416-487-6859 | |
| artculture@glendon.yorku.ca |
