Tuesday, June 9th @ Noon
Gordon Chapel - Old South Church in Boston, MA

"From Bingen to Salzinnes...to Persia" is a weave through the history of women composers and musicians dating from the first millennium to the second by way of poetry and chant. At the beginning of the first millennium, in 1050 or so, Hildegard von Bingen wrote amazing chant, unbelievable in its daring and audacity, and sheer poetic and musical beauty. In the middle of the millennium, in 1554, the women of the Salzinnes convent in Belgium, well after the invention of Guttenberg press, finished a beautiful hand-scribed and hand-painted antiphonal, consisting of chant for the liturgical year, to celebrate the 300th birthday of the convent. At the beginning of the second millennium, in 2007, composer Abbie Betinis took poetry by Hafez, from 15th century Persia, and turned it into a remarkable and vibrant piece called "From Behind the Caravan". Cappella Clausura’s ensemble of voices, medieval lute, lavta, doumbek, riqq, vielle, harp, and viol takes all of this repertoire and brings it to life!