2024 Concert Series Part 1: Musical Treasures of the Spanish Renaissance

A stunningly beautiful evening featuring hidden gems from the Hispanic Society Collection. The manuscript collection at the Hispanic Society Library is a rich trove of handwritten copies and early editions of 16th and 17th century polyphony from masters including Tomás Luis de Victoria and Francisco Guerrero, as well as lesser-known composers like Bartolomé de Olagüe, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from 1651-58. In this luminous musical exploration of Spanish renaissance treasures, Skylark will perform several pieces that are modern premieres, having been lost to history until transcribed by Skylark musicologist Dr. John K. Cox directly from the Hispanic Society collections. The first program in Skylark’s musical pilgrimage will include some of the earliest music ever transcribed for multiple voices, chants from the Codex Callixtinus, the 13th-century guidebook for the pilgrimage to Santiago. The program will also take full advantage of the marvelous acoustics in the Hispanic Society’s main courtyard, at times surrounding the audience with up to 12 individual lines performed by Skylark’s virtuoso professional singers.