Metaphysical Music: A Concert of Seventeenth-Century Sacred Song
This event, featuring renowned soloists Charles Daniels and Jonathon Adams, directed by Nick Veltmeyer and curated by Dr. Anna Lewton-Brain, is co-sponsored by the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (CAML). The perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life, this concert program, inspired by the liturgy of Evensong, features little-known seventeenth-century musical settings of the poetry of John Donne (1572 – 1631), George Herbert (1593 – 1633), and Richard Crashaw (1613 – 1649). The program offers listeners a unique opportunity to experience metaphysical poetry as song. This North-American premier of musical settings by John Jenkins (1592–1678), Thomas Ford (c. 1580 – 1648) and others will speak to us from the past about our current longings, griefs, and joys. By learning from the morally ameliorating effects of seventeenth-century religious music, we can promote social cohesion, encourage a shared exploration of human experience, and collectively tackle the challenges of our time. In embracing this tradition, we find a pathway to personal growth and the collective pursuit of a harmonious society.