Throughout the centuries, Spain has been a rich melting pot of different cultures. Unique in its history is the coexistence of the Christian, Jew, Muslim and Roma (gypsy) and the development of a dynamically diverse musical repertoire that reflected the distinct values of each culture. The Moors, who ruled over sections of Spain for 800 years, left a legacy of architecture, science and poetry, including the Muwashshah; a strophic song from the Muslim rule of Spain that continues today in oral tradition. The Jews who worked as doctors, scholars, lawyers, and artisans among other professions, left a legacy in philosophy, literature and the music known as Sephardic music. With the expulsion of the Jew and the Muslim from Spain in 1492, the Christians dominated and an era of religious fervor gave birth to an outpouring of new sacred music composed by such composers as Guerrero, Morales, and Victoria. The gypsy, known in Spain as Gitanos, survived in Spanish society by assimilating, and gave rise to the haunting music of the flamenco, the guitar and the castanet.

Our concert will explore the rich musical traditions of all these cultures, reflecting a melting pot of traditions that speak to the heart and soul of Spain. Repertoire for the concert includes Guerrero’s Lauda, mater ecclesia; Morales’s Parce mihi Domine; Lobo’s double choir motet Ave Maria, Victoria’s Vere languores, chants from the Codex Calixtinus (Medieval chants for St. James), villancicos by Encina and Flecha, Muwashshah’s arranged by Abu-Khader and Torikian, Sephardic arrangements by Ben-Chaim and Jacobson, 20th Century choral treasures by Pablo Casals, Tedesco, de Falla and Lara and a Mass by modern day Spanish composer Bernat Vivancos, among others. Join us for this uniquely rich journey as we explore the great and diverse musical traditions of Spain!

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