Dazzling Light

For their second album, Ensemble Altera led by Christopher Lowrey explores light in all its forms: the light of morning and evening, sacred light, light as a symbol of Christ, light as the conqueror of darkness and even (thanks to the James Webb telescope) the light of distant galaxies. This program includes works primarily from the 20th and 21st centuries, …

In the Cabinet of Wonders

Chicago-based violinist Martin Davids (Callipygian Players, Bella Voce Sinfonia, Haymarket Opera, Music of the Baroque) is joined by organist, musicologist, and author David Yearsley for a program paying tribute to an unlikely, yet celebrated duo. In 17th century Hamburg, organist Heinrich Scheidemann (1595-1663) and violinist Johann Schop (1590-1667) became one of the town’s leading cultural attractions playing from the organ …

Yves Castagnet: Magnificat

In early December 2024, five-and-a-half years after the devastating fire of 2019, the great Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris reopened to the public. This recording of a new choral setting of the Magnificat by the organist-composer Yves Castagnet celebrates the cathedral’s “rebirth.” Since 1988, Castagnet has held the post of choir organist at Notre-Dame. His role also encompasses interpretative coaching …

A Lullaby Carol: Christmas At Christ Church

Comprised of a treble line of boy choristers and an ATB line of men and women, the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford holds a distinctive place within the great English choral tradition. Unlike all other collegiate and cathedral choirs, it serves both an Oxford college and a diocese. The choir is revered for the vibrancy of its sound and …

Cor Collaborandi: A Transnational Celebration of the Early Modern

Led by trombonist and early music specialist Michael Kris, the Kris Collective brings together musicians from across two continents performing on modern instruments. Their album Cor Collaborandi celebrates the cross-pollination of musical ideas between the Venetian and Spanish schools of the early Baroque. In his program notes, Michael Kris says: “Music of the 16th to 18th centuries was transmitted artist …