The auditioned mid-coast a cappella vocal ensemble VoXX: Voice of Twenty presents its winter concert series, There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion, led by Music Director John Mehrmann. The concerts will be in four venues around the Midcoast in January and on February 1.
This concert series takes its title from Francis Bacon’s essay, “Of Beauty.” In it, he wrote: “There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” We are often struck by the way a dissonance, a rhythmic surprise, or some other “strangeness” can work in music to highlight its beauty when pieces that follow the expected rules may fall flat. Melancholy lyrics paired with a sprightly, cheerful melody – or hopeful lyrics set in a minor mode – may linger in the listener’s ear long after the concert is over. Composers who push the bounds of the expected – whether from the Renaissance or the twenty-first century – create a different and unique beauty.
We’ve chosen these pieces with beauty and strangeness in mind. From the chromatic progressions of Orlando di Lassus to the repetition and weariness of David Lang’s again (after ecclesiastes), we seek the places of “strangeness in the proportion.” As with other VoXX programs, the music spans centuries, from the thirteenth century to new pieces by VoXX member Paul Velleman and our Music Director, John Mehrmann. Composers also include Monteverdi, Gesualdo, Victoria, Messiaen, Pärt, Lauridsen, and Lang. Singing these pieces, we’ve found not only beauty in strangeness but also, as we begin a new year, a glimmer of hope in darkness.
VoXX began in the early part of this century as Ave Maris Stella, a group of passionate singers who gathered in living rooms to challenge themselves with early, a cappella music. Since then, we've grown in size, skill, courage, and repertoire, entertaining not only ourselves but audiences in the Midcoast and beyond.
VoXX will present There is no excellent beauty four times:
Saturday, January 24 at 3:00pm
Hammer Hall at Bay Chamber
5 Mountain Street, Camden
Sunday, January 25 at 3:00pm
United Church of Christ
10 Church Lane, Phippsburg
Saturday, January 31 at 4:00pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
37 Miller Street, Belfast
Sunday, February 1 at 3:00pm
Union Hall
24 Central Street, Rockport
Tickets are $20, available online at www.voiceoftwenty.com, or at the door. Students may attend at no charge. FMI visit www.voiceoftwenty.com.
