St. Paul's: A Candlelight Concert with Hesperus

St. Paul’s Artist Series presents EXULTA FILIA: A CANDLELIGHT CONCERT featuring HESPERUS, the renowned early music ensemble, performing Renaissance, Baroque and traditional music for the Christmas season from England, France, Spain, Italy and the Americas. The concert takes place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (305 W. Seventh at Pine Street) on Friday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the St. Paul’s website and will also be sold at the door on the night of the concert. For more information, visit: http://www.stpaulschatt.org/concert-season/.

Innovative, historically-informed and multi-cultural, HESPERUS is acclaimed for performing a variety of programs with creative energy, technical assurance and a sense of fun that make connections between the rich musical past and curious 21st century concertgoers. The St. Paul’s concert features Tina Chancey, medieval / traditional fiddles and viola da gamba; Barbara Hollinshead, voice; and Daniel Swenberg, Renaissance lute and Baroque guitar.

Describing the program, Tina Chancey, artistic director, comments, “Christmastide is a time of strong feelings, coming as it does near the winter solstice, an occasion of fear, faith and renewal all over the earth. This seasonal program reflects many different perspectives on Christmas, even within the Christian tradition. The English-language songs from Britain and America include traditional wassails and ballads. The Spanish Colonial works express a contemplative view of the nativity and a calm expectation of salvation. A selection of French noëls and musettes evoke the countryside through simple folk tunes set in high relief with creative bass lines and unexpected harmonies. The elegant Holborne pavans and galliards along with lively American fiddle tunes remind us that many cultures celebrate the season with dancing. Finally, two Baroque jewels, the centerpieces of our program, present contrasting expressions of faith: Hor ch’è Tempo is a somber anticipation of pain to come, while Exulta Filia is a joyful announcement of present happiness. The instrumental works act as decorations for the festivities, setting off the points of interest and cleansing the palate, while attracting attention in their own right. We love the music created to celebrate this season and hope Chattanooga audiences will as well.”