A Voice from Heaven
curated by Raha Mirzadegan, founder & Andrew Leslie Cooper, conductor
Friday, August 22, 2025
Throughout centuries of musical evolution, one voice has endured with remarkable clarity and constancy: the voice of plainchant. Sometimes called Gregorian chant, these ancient melodies—sung in unison and free of harmony or accompaniment—have shaped the foundation of Western music, both sacred and secular. The transcendent power of chant can soothe, charm, or haunt as it transports its listeners away through time. This program from Hudson Baroque draws its inspiration from that voice: not only in the sounds of chant itself, but by celebrating its soul as it resonates through music spanning over 400 years. In the richly woven textures, luminous harmonies, and expressive silences of these choral works, we hear the echo of that visceral, prayerful song—a voice from heaven.
The program opens with three miniature masterpieces from England’s rich choral tradition: Taverner’s Audivi vocem de caelo, Purcell’s Thou knowest, Lord, and Byrd’s exuberant Sing joyfully unto God. These works, though distinct in energy and style, each invite us to a divine meditation where we find awe, joy, and rest. The melodic serenity and harmonic clarity of these pieces offer us a momentary portal to the post-Reformation world, where sacred music served as both devotion and proclamation.
From there, we journey into the 20th century with Maurice Duruflé’s Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens, shimmering and heartwarming settings of ancient Latin hymns and prayers. Duruflé directly quotes the chant melodies, but clothes them in rich, impressionistic harmonies. Choral musicians and listeners the world over cherish these pieces for their coexistent traits of oldness and newness. Despite being the youngest works in this program, the Quatre Motets live comfortably alongside Renaissance treasures, and they feel, in many ways, as ancient as the original chants themselves.
The program continues with more voices of the English Renaissance. Byrd’s Bow thine ear, O Lord is a somber and imploring cry for mercy, while Tallis’s beloved If ye love me remains one of the most elegant spiritual expressions ever penned. Two more works by Tallis—the dramatic Loquebantur variis linguis and the mystifying Videte miraculum—showcase his singular ability to integrate chant-like lines into dense yet effortless choral textures.
The concert concludes with Herbert Howells’ Requiem, a work of quiet, personal depth. Though it does not quote chant explicitly, the piece breathes its rhythms and contours. The Requiem alternates between sorrowful laments and serene meditations, employing tranquil solos, sentimental homophony, and complex, rhapsodic polyphony. Withheld from publication until the winter of Howells’ life, his motivation for composing a Requiem remains a mystery. This enigmatic, captivating work now stands as one of the most beloved and affecting works of modern choral music.
This program offers more than a concert—it invites a deep listening. In these works, drawn from across the centuries but united by a shared spirit, listeners will encounter music that speaks from the soul and to the soul. Performed by some of the finest choral artists in the country, A Voice from Heaven promises an experience of extraordinary beauty and quiet expression—one that lingers in the heart long after the final chord.