A Worthy Mirror

screening party

Join members of Alkemie for the premiere screening of their new concert film, A Worthy Mirror. The screening will take place at “The Secret Loft” in Ridgewood, near the Halsey street subway stop (L). Exact address will be distributed to ticketholders ahead of the event.

A WORTHY MIRROR represents a time-traveling dialogue with the 12th-century trobairitz–the feminine counterpart of the poet-composers known as troubadours. Together with Forward Music Project, we are commissioning eleven female and non-binary composers to respond to and converse with the 36 extant trobairitz texts (of which we only have music for one). This body of lyric poetry represents a large group of historically female and anonymous femme voices in the literary tradition. Witty, ironic, heartbreaking, and erotic—these texts present a mirror to reflect upon what feels foreign about the past and what feels familiar, what is the role of gender and self in relationships, and how do we make space for the multiplicities of identity, both in the 12th century and today.

Verdant Medicine

VERDANT MEDICINE celebrates mystic, medic, and musician Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a medieval polymath who expanded both Christian theology and the humoral theory of Galen to connect the viriditas (living greenness) of plants and the metaphorical viridity of spirituality directly to the human body and its functioning.

This mixed-media concert will include materials that evoke the five senses.

Verdant Medicine

VERDANT MEDICINE celebrates mystic, medic, and musician Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a medieval polymath who expanded both Christian theology and the humoral theory of Galen to connect the viriditas (living greenness) of plants and the metaphorical viridity of spirituality directly to the human body and its functioning. This mixed-media concert will include materials that evoke the five senses.

For Access to Columbia University: You must register by 9pm the night before the concert (9/25).

Workshop: Trouvère Song & Dance

Berkeley Festival and Exhibition

Join members of Alkemie for this special Renaissance workshop! Whether you sing or play an instrument, there is something for you. And if you don't, you can still dance! In this two-and-a-half hour session, you'll learn some basic Renaissance dance steps, orchestrate an estampie and sing through a motet.

There's no need to prepare beforehand. If you are an instrumentalist, bring an instrument pitched at A=440 and a music stand; some percussion may be provided for singers. All should wear comfortable clothing and footwear for dancing.

Chanticleer & Alkemie

Berkeley Festival and Exhibition

French composer and poet Guillaume de Machaut was one of the leading minds of the Middle Ages. His Messe de Nostre Dame is one of the first multi-movement, large-scale notated compositions to exist in the Western canon and has been called the “genesis of modern music” (Los Angeles Times). This program features Machaut’s magnum opus as well as the secular songs of minstrels and bards from the Middle Ages to create an evening of artistry, revelry, and dance. The Festival continues its decades-long association with Chanticleer, one of SFEMS’ original fiscal affiliates! We are also excited to welcome back Alkemie, which wowed audiences during their 2022–23 SFEMS concert debut.