The madrigal genre, with its different regional forms, reflected the rise of humanism in 16th century Europe, and with it, vernacular forms of music and poetry that flourished alongside Latin sacred music. Composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, John Wilbye, Claudin de Sermisy, and Orlando di Lasso set the poetry of love and longing to music with distinctive word-painting and expressive harmonic turns, while drawing upon dance-like rhythms to convey more light-hearted subjects.

Our season closes with the splendid works of GF Handel. The earliest anthems were written for the Duke of Chandos, whose palatial estate in Sussex boasted its own 'court' musicians. Later, Handel wrote more elaborate anthems for the sovereign's private Chapel Royal. In 1727 Handel was commissioned to write four anthems for the coronation of King George II. Sir Thomas Beecham, 20th century British conductor, wrote, "Since Handel's time mankind has heard no music written for voices which can even feebly rival his for grandeur of build and tone, nobility and tenderness of melody, scholastic skill and ingenuity, and inexhaustible variety of effect."

The season opens with two Bach Magnificats: Johann Sebastian's festive D major Magnificat (1733) for large orchestra, five-part choir, and vocal soloists, contrasting with the elegant C major setting (1760) by Bach's youngest son, Johann Christian. The program includes music by two of Bach's Leipzig predecessors: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele by Johann Schelle, and Sebastian Knüpfer's Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht in deinem Zorn, a piece Johann Sebastian admired for its bold gestures and emotional intensity. We welcome soloists Jennifer Paulino, Brian Staufenbiel, and Jeffrey Fields.

Today the Spanish term villancico is synonymous with Christmas carol, but from the 16th to 18th centuries this was an elaborate musical genre that attracted the leading composers of the day. Those villancicos are a pastiche of devotional fervor and witty secularity, with characters drawn from everyday life and folklore. Our program features the tender and beautiful Serafín che con dulce harmonia by Joan Cererols, as well as lively, rhythmic villancicos of Pedro Rimonte, Juan Gutierrez de Padilla, and Padre Antonio Soler.