Event Archives

New York Polyphony
Sing Thee Nowell

Vocal quartet New York Polyphony perform their holiday program, Sing Thee Nowell, a reverent meditation on the Christmas season that recently earned the group its second GRAMMY nomination. Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” (NPR), New York Polyphony is regarded as one of the finest vocal chamber ensembles in the world. The quartet applies a distinctly modern approach to repertoire ranging from austere medieval melodies to cutting-edge contemporary compositions.

The inspired program for this holiday concert spans nine centuries, from Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium and early carols to newer music that includes a composition by New York Polyphony’s countertenor Geoffrey Williams, and a commission from composer Andrew Smith. Throughout this concert at the acoustically-resonant Baldwin Auditorium, expect New York Polyphony to sing with nothing less than  “intelligence, subtlety, and consummate artistry” (Richmond Times-Dispatch).

Sing Thee Nowell

Andrew Smith: Veni Emmanuel
Philippe Verdelot: Gabriel Archangelus
Trinity Roll MS: There is No Rose
John Scott: There is No Rose
Thomas Byttering: Nesciens mater
Michael McGlynn: O Pia Virgo Mater
Selden MS: Nowell – Out of Your Sleep
Andrew Smith: Nowell – Arise and Wake
T. L. da Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium
Jacob Clemens “non Papa”: Magi Veniunt ab Oriente
Traditional, arr. Alexander Craig: Gabriel’s Message
Geoffrey Williams: Adam Lay Ybounden
S.S. Wesley arr. Geoffrey Williams: There is No Rose (“Hereford”)
Traditional, arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams: I Saw Three Ships
Traditional, arr. Alexander Craig: Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle!
Alexander Craig: Sleep Now (James Joyce)
Normandy tune, arr. Reginald Jacques / adapt. Alexander Craig: Away in a Manger
Traditional, arr. Alexander Craig: The Darkest Midnight in December 

When
  • Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 8:00pm
Where
Baldwin Auditorium

1336 Campus Drive
Durham, NC 27705

Venue Details