Back from Chicago & Evanston, and gorgeously revealing performances of Vespers by Northwestern University’s Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble (BCE) and Piffaro, The Renaissance Band. Donald Nally led brilliantly, Piffaro played like gangbusters, and the singers simply knocked me out.
Above, from a rehearsal—must be the Magnificat—tenors & altos, Priscilla Herreid working the tenor dulcian, Bob Wiemken hidden behind the earth-moving octavebass dulcian, oh yeah.
So many thanks to Northwestern University’s Institute for New Music, the Evelyn Dunbar Early Music Festival, Millar Chapel, St. James Cathedral in Chicago, and the astounding musicians of BCE. I can hardly believe the work they did for this. None of this would have been possible without Donald Nally, whose leadership, vision, and creativity inspire all of us, and Piffaro, without whom Vespers would not exist.