Looking East, Looking West
Thursday, June 18 | 8pm
16 Washington Street
ALBA Consort presents secular music from the 12th-15th centuries from around the Mediterranean and over the Caucasus Mountains to medieval Armenia and Persia. This repertoire features oud, lute, vielle, guitarra, percussion, and voice to explores cross-cultural influences. Enjoy Gallecian Cantigas de Santa Maria and songs from Llibre Vermell de Monserrat, French chanson by Machaut and Dufay, Cypriot ballads, Italian song and dance, Arabic Mwasha and Sephardic tunes still popular today.
[ALBA’s] pulsating rhythms ... were undulating and hypnotic,... bringing the contrasting harmonic idioms of the various regions vividly to life…. The performance was certainly an accomplishment. —Chicago Classical Review
They performed a program built of floridly ornamented, intensely melismatic vocal melodies and deftly interwoven instrumental lines, and full of distinct cultural influences, [drawing] the audience into what proved to be a fascinating performance.… Highlights were some haunting Sephardic songs and beautifully played instrumental tunes. —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Alone and in combination, all are excellent and enthralling musicians.
—Shepherd Express
