7 December 2014 St Machar's Cathedral 7:45 p.m.

A Renaissance Venetian Christmas

Mosaic of the translation of the body of Saint Mark on San Alipio facade door of the Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice.Mosaic of the translation of the body of Saint Mark on San Alipio facade door of the Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice.Mosaic of the translation of the body of Saint Mark on San Alipio facade door of the Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice - photograph by Wolfgang Morodere.

Mosaic of the translation of the body of St Mark in Basilica San Marco, Venice - photograph by Wolfgang Moroder

 

Christmas Motets by Gabrieli

Vespers for Christmas Day by Monteverdi, Rovetta and Cavalli

Venetian instrumental music for the late sixteenth century

Aberdeen Bach Choir
Musical Director Peter Parfitt

His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts

Monteverdi String Band

Chamber Organ Continuo Drew Tulloch

The Aberdeen Bach Choir welcomed the well-known and internationally acclaimed brass ensemble His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, and the Monteverdi String Band, who joined the choir for an authentic reconstruction of the Second Vespers of Christmas, and six Christmas motets by Giovanni Gabrieli along with Venetian instrumental music from the late sixteenth century. The Vespers included music by four successive Maestri di Cappella at St Mark’s (Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Rosetta and Cavalli), their compositional styles marking the culmination of the high renaissance style and the shift to the idioms of the new Baroque period.

This performance proved very popular and was sold out ten days ahead.