“. . .these neglected chansons take on a hitherto unsuspected radiance that touches heart and mind alike.” Bestenliste, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (January 2020)
Weather-Related Cancellations: Concerts presented by Blue Heron will go on regardless of weather, unless the governor declares a State of Emergency. In the event of cancellation, every attempt will be made to update this space, our Facebook page, and phone voicemail (which is (617) 960-7956). If time, technology, and electricity permit, an email to ticket holders (through Vendini) and to our full email list will also be sent.
Happy New Year from Blue Heron!
2020 has been quite a learning experience for all of us, but through all the trials it has shown us how much you, our Blue Heron family, is behind us all the way. Your support this year through gifts, messages, and love has lit our path through this trying year and we are so grateful. From all of us at Blue Heron, we wish you a healthy, joyful, and perhaps less tumultuous New Year.
La plus belle et doulce figure
Nicolas Grenon (c.1380-1456)
Daniela Tošić, voice
Scott Metcalfe, harp
Charles Weaver, lute
Video by Kathy Wittman | Ball Square Films
Audio by Joel Gordon
End the Year on a High Note
As 2020 draws to a close, we extend our deepest thanks to you – our extended family – who are steadfast in your commitment and generosity. If you are contemplating your support of our Annual Fund, please consider a gift before the end of the calendar year. Gifts given in 2020 (either online or post-marked by December 31) may be eligible for new deductions under the CARES Act.
The CARES Act, passed by Congress in March of 2020, was intended to provide relief and aid for businesses and industries negatively affected by restrictions due to the CORONA virus. To encourage charitable giving, it offers two new incentives for cash contributions in 2020:
for those who do not itemize expenses, it provides a tax deduction of up to $300 of cash donation to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
for those who do itemize returns, it provides a deduction up to 100% of one’s Adjusted Gross Income.
You may be eligible for greater advantages in charitable giving. Please consult your tax advisor about how to take advantage of these changes.
Your gifts now ensure our endurance and the promise of joining together again live performance.
Le grant retthorique: Guillaume de Machaut April 17, 2021
New this Season!
Spotlight Sessions Exquisite solo performances, interviews featuring a diversity of interests and expertise, and single classes programmed exclusively for Blue Heron, each 45-60 minutes.
Pamela Dellal: Tuning the Modes
January 20, 2021 7:00 PM
Jessie Ann Owens & Alessandro Quarta: Cipriano de Rore’s Madrigali of 1542
March 31, 2021 7:00 PM
Ockeghem Academy
A 3-part lecture series (90 minutes each) presented by Blue Heron’s Artistic Director Scott Metcalfe and Professor Sean Gallagher of the New England Conservatory, adviser to our Ockeghem@600 project.
February 24, 2021 7:00 PM
March 3, 2021 7:00 PM
March 10, 2021 7:00 PM
This highly important [Peterhouse recording] project, one of the most important early choral projects of our time, has unearthed a series of masterly composers hitherto virtually unknown...Such is the authority of Scott Metcalfe and his singers with this repertoire that they negotiate even the most daringly challenging and unexpected passages with utter confidence, and, as previously, with a delicious blend of expressiveness and seemingly inexorable forward momentum.
D. James Ross, Early Music Review (UK)
“
a revelation - fresh, dynamic and vibrant...urgent and wondrous music-making of the highest order
Damian Fowler, Gramophone (UK)
“
fine gradations of dynamics; pungent diction; telling contrasts of ethereal and earthly timbres; tempos that are more lusty than languid; a way of propelling a phrase toward a goal. ... The singing is both precise and fluid, immaculate and alive...
Alex Ross, The New Yorker
“
A listener then would have been lucky to hear these works brought off with such panache. The program is by turns pensive and lively, and the scholarship required to evoke stylistic accuracy is put totally at the service of performance.
David Allen, The New York Times
“
I feel privileged to be able to revel in such a subtle shaped set of performances... This is the kind of recording that makes you sit up and pay attention.. There is plenty that is memorable here, and always the anticipation of something juicy to relish just around the corner. You can't ask much more than that from a CD.
Dominy Clements, MusicWeb International
“
The earthy sensuousness of Blue Heron's singing coupled with the curatorial care behind its programming have clearly earned the trust of audiences
Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe
“
But Blue Heron’s devotion to this repertory — the ensemble has recorded five albums of music from the Peterhouse Partbooks — is not justified only by its rarity. This is vivid and radiant music. ...
... With two or three singers to a part and women stepping into the shoes of boy choristers, Blue Heron brings a zesty and sensual sound to these works of devotional music.