Posted May 28, 2025
by Kimberly Brody
A couple of seasons ago, on a cold, snowy February evening, Ars Nova Singers performed one of the most renowned pieces in the choral repertoire, Spem in alium by Thomas Tallis, a composer from the English Renaissance period (c. 1505-1585). This piece is written for eight choirs of 5 parts each, resulting in 40 independent, discrete voices – one on a part – and was perhaps the first instance of “surround sound,” as the performers were instructed to encircle the audience, giving the audience a remarkable aural vantage point from which to experience the music.
Our concert that evening made the front page of the Daily Camera, and ticket sales ballooned – a Renaissance choral music concert sold out! On a blustery winter night! We had to turn people away because Mountain View Church just couldn’t squeeze in any more bodies. It was thrilling for us to perform to a packed and appreciative audience.
Why am I bringing this up now, more than two years later?
This weekend Ars Nova Singers is performing another masterwork of the choral literature, and while we don’t anticipate making the front-page news, this concert is no less worthy of such attention. To the extent that Spem in alium is a 16th-century polyphonic masterpiece, the Frank Martin Mass for Double Chorus – (two, not eight!) – is a 20th-century textural and harmonic masterpiece of equal scope and challenge to the singers. In it, Martin uses more modern rhythms, harmonies, and musical techniques, exploring the French Impressionistic style that had captured his interest and attention.
Recently Ars Nova Singers participated in a workshop for business leaders from around the world. We were invited to perform in another surround-sound setting; this time the audience consisted of 30 CEOs and Ars Nova Singers were the special guests. For the presentation, the CEOs were instructed to don blindfolds; they had no idea what to expect next. Ars Nova Singers silently filed in and surrounded the large dinner table, and on cue they sang, starting in pure harmony and then migrating to more dissonance, returning to harmony, making this trek out and back several times, finally arriving, once and for all, in restful consonance.
Following the performance, the CEOs removed their blindfolds and began to share what the experience was like, using just their ears and not their eyes. Many shared that it was transformative; one person had started the evening stressed, anxious, and was moved to tears – and peace – by the music. Another said, “A miraculous evening. To me what you do… is in the domain of miracles. With great appreciation and joy in my heart.”
We hope you will join us this weekend! We won’t ask you to put on a blindfold, but we do invite you to come to our concert with an open heart and open ears, ready to find miracles and joy, and to be transformed by the music.
