In conjunction with the current exhibit at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, "Object of Devotion," the music department will sponsor "Requiem," a concert in Early Renaissance music by St. Mary Schola.
"Object of Devotion," which held its opening reception on February 17 and will run through May, is an exhibit of medieval alabaster sculpture consisting of pieces on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. With support from the Dean for Academic Affairs Cristle Collins Judd, Concert, Budget and Equipment Manager Delmar Small began searching for a musical ensemble that would compliment the art exhibit.
Small intially booked an English group specializing in English Medieval music, the Alamare Ensemble. However, due to logistical complications, the performance fell through.
"I looked around for a more local group that did Medieval English sacred music but [the pool] is narrow," Small said.
Unable to find another group, Small recounted that it began to seem like there would be no medieval musical performance to compliment "Object of Devotion." However, by widening the historical period and geographical specificity of the music in question, the department was able to find St. Mary Schola.
St. Mary Schola is a professional ensemble based out of The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Falmouth. Although the group does not specialize in English Medieval music, the group's repertoire includes music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque traditions.
According to Small, "Alabasters were traded all across Europe anyway. The Renaissance music they're doing is based on Gregorian chant from the Middle Ages. They're doing French, Italian and Baroque composers."
"Requiem" is a concert consisting of five pieces ranging from the 16th to 18th centuries. The concert is meant to be a memorial in honor of one of St. Mary Schola's founding members, Reverend Canon James Dalton-Thompson.
Though the pieces are mostly sung a cappella, some are accompanied by a string trio, harpsichord and organ.
Bruce Fithian, an organist and choirmaster at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, home of St. Mary Schola, and a professor of music at the University of Southern Maine, will direct "Requiem." Fithian has extensive experience as a soloist, having performed throughout New England and Europe, including performances at Alice Tully Hall and the Thetre National de L'Opéra de Paris.
As expressed in the concert's program notes, Fithian and St. Mary Schola aim for "Requiem" to be a celebration of the life of Reverend Dalton-Thompson that will further allow them to "share the consolation that music can uniquely bring to our lives."
"Requiem" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the Bowdoin Chapel.