Machaut Weekend
May 1-3, 2026

Join us for a three-day festival featuring the poetry and music of 14th-century Europe’s greatest poet and composer, Guillaume de Machaut (d. 1377). We’ll explore the courtly chansons that are the heart of his work, sample his poly-textual motets, sing the celebrated Messe de Nostre Dame by candlelight in Emmanuel Church’s gothic Lindsey Chapel, and finish up with a cabaret concert of songs by Machaut and the next generation, the bewitchingly smoky Ars subtilior.

Tickets & Weekend Passes (coming soon)

Calendar of Events

Opening Festivities: Keynote, Performance & Reception

Friday, May 1, 2026, 7:30 pm
The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, West Newton, MA 02465

Talks & Demonstrations

Saturday, May 2, 2026, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Margaret Jewett Hall, First Church in Cambridge, Congregational

Concert: Le grant rhetorique: The Music & Poetry of Guillaume de Machaut

Saturday, May 2, 2026, 2:00 pm
Sanctuary, First Church in Cambridge, Congregational

Candlelight Concerts: Messe de Nostre Dame

Saturday, May 2, 2026, 7:00 pm & 8:30 pm
Lindsey Chapel, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116

Cabaret Concert: Machaut & the Ars subtilior

Sunday, May 3, 2026, 6:00 pm
The Allen Center, 35 Webster St, West Newton, MA 02465

All concert dates, programs and personnel are subject to change without notice.

Blue Heron is pleased to be participating in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council, Department of Transitional Assistance, WIC Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by extending free tickets to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders.
Instructions for claiming a ticket via your card may be found by locating Blue Heron within the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.