Renaissance Street Singers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Renaissance Street Singers is a New York City-based choir that performs polyphonic sacred music a cappella in free concerts in public spaces around the city. Formed in 1973 by Manhattan resident John Hetland, the group consists of about 25 people who love this kind of music and who wish to share it by singing for passers-by. Despite the religious origin of the music, there is no religious message to the performances. Concerts are normally on Sunday afternoons, two or sometimes three times a month, always free.
The music performed is a slowly changing list of about 25 motets, mass sections and other sacred compositions, primarily from the 15th and 16th centuries, by composers like Guillaume Dufay, Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin Desprez, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, William Byrd, Tomás Luis de Victoria and Manuel Cardoso.
Their website, www.streetsingers.org, gives additional information and the current schedule.
[edit] References
- Hillaby, Sue, "A Sidewalk Renaissance," The Village Voice, Sept. 8, 1975, p. 87.
- "The Talk of the Town: Sweet Music," The New Yorker, June 28, 1993 (by Richard Brookhiser)
- Yap, Diana Michèle, "OK Chorales: Renaissance fare," Time Out New York, Aug. 10-17, 2000, p. 51
