Composition is a process in which fragments of the past are infused with fresh genius, creating something wholly new. Barber’s Reincarnations transfigures James Stephen’s Irish lyric poems evoking intense love, tragic grief, and the pastoral into songs of expressive intensity. With distance from Barber’s life, the composer is increasingly recognized as one of the finest American composers of that time. Despite the depression, alcoholism, and financial ruin that characterized the end of his life, his music sings on.

Thomas Tallis likely wrote his extended votive antiphon Ave rosa sine spinis early in his career, during the reign of Henry VIII. His output spanned the religious and political upheavals inherent in serving not only that single Reformation-era monarch, but Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I as well—as seen in the astonishing variety in his church music, which ranges from ebullient and ornate Latin motets to music of austere beauty in the English language. Ave rosa sine spinis reflects a shining moment in which the political climate permitted richly ornate music of devotion, resulting in an overflowing of musical scale and possibility.

Join The Thirteen for an exploration of some of our most beloved English-language composers in a display of virtuosity and artistry.

This program is made possible by our Producing Sponsor, J. Penny Clark, and by generous gifts from our Concert Sponsors, Stephen & Maygene Daniels and Don Picard.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.