Morgan Library Family Program: Songs and Stories

Drop in for artmaking, stories, gallery activities, and performances at the Morgan! On Sunday, November 9, join us for an afternoon of medieval music and art. Explore manuscripts throughout the historic library and in the exhibition Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life.

Activities are recommended for children ages 5–10 and their caregivers. Families with children of all ages and abilities are welcome. 

Free with museum admission and the Morgan is free for children 12 and under

Performances in the Historic Library

2:00–2:20 PM and 3:00–3:20 PM

Join singers in the early music ensemble ALKEMIE for two twenty-minute interactive performances in the historic library inspired by medieval manuscripts on view throughout the Morgan.

Drop-in Programs : 1:00–4:00 PM

Gallery Exploration 

Explore the exhibition Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life with a gallery guide and find the Morgan’s medieval treasures!

Artmaking 

Design your own illuminated letter inspired by medieval manuscripts.

Saltwinds & Spice

In SALTWINDS & SPICE Alkemie joins forces with Rose of the Compass, featuring recorder superstar Nina Stern and Armenian-American oud-player and beloved composer Ara Dinkjian. Together, we explore the world of medieval Cyprus, offering a window into a multiethnic entrepôt. Hear musical tales of rose-scented fountains, shrines famous for both holy relics and snake-hunting cats, and monarchies founded by mermaids. Featuring French ars subtilior music from the Cyprus Codex (MS. J.II.9) alongside Armenian and Greek folk music.

This concert will be followed by a reception featuring traditional Cypriot wines & desserts.

Saltwinds & Spice

In SALTWINDS & SPICE Alkemie joins forces with Rose of the Compass, featuring recorder superstar Nina Stern and Armenian-American oud-player and beloved composer Ara Dinkjian. Together, we explore the world of medieval Cyprus, offering a window into a multiethnic entrepôt. Hear musical tales of rose-scented fountains, shrines famous for both holy relics and snake-hunting cats, and monarchies founded by mermaids. Featuring French ars subtilior music from the Cyprus Codex (MS. J.II.9) alongside Armenian and Greek folk music.

This concert will be followed by a reception featuring traditional Cypriot wines & desserts.

Wondrous Beasts

Said to be the most widely-distributed book in Europe after the Bible, the medieval bestiary, i.e. "book of beasts,” established paths of meaning for animal references in Europe over the ensuing millenia. Alkemie performs 14th-century Italian repertoire and new music by Elliot Cole inspired by the creatures found within these compendiums, including eagles, unicorns, and basilisk.

Wondrous Beasts

Said to be the most widely-distributed book in Europe after the Bible, the medieval bestiary, i.e. "book of beasts,” established paths of meaning for animal references in Europe over the ensuing millenia. Alkemie performs 14th-century Italian repertoire and new music by Elliot Cole inspired by the creatures found within these compendiums, including eagles, unicorns, and basilisks.

***Reception to follow***

May Day in Prospect Park

part of FLORALIA: A May Day Festival 

Alkemie concludes its Floralia festival with its inagural May Day celebration! We encourage you to bring a picnic to this free, family-friendly drop-in event in Prospect Park near the Peristyle. The afternon will include a guided May Day dance, a demonstration of medieval instruments, optional participation in short scenes from a medieval play, a May Day trivia scavenger hunt, and face painting. Please register to help us prepare materials and to receive updates on the event activities and location.

TICKETS ↓↓↓

Sir Orfeo

part of FLORALIA: A May Day Festival

270 years before the very first opera set the story of Orpheus’ journey to the underworld, the ‘Lai of Sir Orfeo’ was recorded in an English manuscript from the time of Chaucer. In this version of the legend, Orpheus visits the realm of the Fae rather than the underworld. Alkemie core member Ben Matus sets the Middle English text in its original language through a mix of newly-composed and re-worked contemporaneous music.

Feel free to come dressed in the spirit of your favorite mythical creature!

Sir Orfeo

part of FLORALIA: A May Day Festival 

270 years before the very first opera set the story of Orpheus’ journey to the underworld, the ‘Lai of Sir Orfeo’ was recorded in an English manuscript from the time of Chaucer. In this version of the legend, Orpheus visits the realm of the Fae rather than the underworld. Alkemie core member Ben Matus sets the Middle English text in its original language through a mix of newly-composed and re-worked contemporaneous music.

Panoply at Jalopy!

Alkemie returns to the Jalopy stage to perform music from their album A FINE COMPANION with opening sets by friends Sibyl and Smoke Ring— two groups who also embrace experimentation with historic music tradition.

ALKEMIE and its sister ensemble FREELANCE NUN collaborated to create A FINE COMPANION, a program of newly-composed settings of troubadour songs and texts, written in a dream-pop / shoegaze / psychedelic rock style for an amplified combination of medieval and new instruments. The texts of this project were chosen by Charles Mueller (composer) and the ensemble, with a focus on troubadour lyrics that expand or refute the standard tropes of chivalrous love by choosing poems from a feminine perspective, and by delving into the metaphysical and spiritual subsets of the genre. The unbridled sensuality of the arrangements creates space for a raw experience that inspires a visceral reaction in the listener. Mueller has used pre-existing troubadour music as a melodic and modal prompt on a number of pieces, with direct quotations organically morphing as if in an inspired game of telephone.

SIBYL is a folk duo from New York City formed by Chloe and Lily Holgate, two sisters that draw inspiration from the ancient tradition of the Sibyls—prophetic women of the ancient world who foretold the future through poetry and song. Blending their love for storytelling with their classical foundations, they refract traditional folk music through a contemporary, emotive light. Sibyl has performed on chamber music series around the northeast, at rock music venues around the city and many house concerts for small audiences—their favorite venues!  Sibyl has been a resident artist at Avaloch Music Institute, and in 2022 they were winners of WNYC's Public Song Project. 

SMOKE RING is a mixed voice barbershop and contemporary a cappella quartet based in New York, NY pushing the limits of what’s possible in barbershop with a lot of sass and sparkle. Made up of Rebecca Eckes (tenor), Stephanie “Tags” Taglianetti (lead), Gabriel Spector (bass), and Alexander Ronneberg (baritone), their humble beginnings began behind a curtain in Charlotte, NC, where they tucked away for some privacy to ring chords in a crowded room. They made things official in 2023, the same year they took first in Voices of Gotham’s Tin Pan Alley novice quartet contest. Their rapid ascent continued in 2024, when they became the first-ever mixed voice quartet to win the Mid-Atlantic District quartet competition and placed 9th at their debut at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s 2024 International quartet contest—making them the highest-ranked mixed voice quartet in the world.