Projects

Men’s Voices

In the mid-1980’s, Sequentia began to undertake large-scale projects involving an ensemble of 3-9 men’s voices, directed by Benjamin Bagby, for the performance of chant, music drama, liturgical polyphony and monophonic sacred repertoires. By the late 1980’s the men’s ensemble of Sequentia was a renowned trans-Atlantic collegium (many of the singers came from Boston) which performed and recorded widely in North America and Europe, sometimes under the name ‘Sons of Thunder’. More recently, the ensemble has toured with programs such as ‘Pilgrims to the Apocalypse’ (2000) and in 2004 joined with the men’s ensemble of the ensemble Dialogos (dir. Katarina Livljanic) for the project Chant Wars, which toured in Europe, North and South America, and continues to be performed. The Boston men’s ensemble premiered a new program in 2008: Carmina Burana (with the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and in 2009 a new ensemble of Sequentia’s men’s voices was founded in Paris (see Programs: Voices from the Island Sanctuary).

Past and present concert programs

Charlemagne: Emperor and Saint (2011-present)
Voices from the Island Sanctuary (2009-present)
The Original ‘Carmina Burana’ (2008)
Chant Wars (with Dialogos, 2004-2010)
The New Voices of Notre Dame de Paris (2002)
Pilgrims to the Apocalypse (2000)
Liber Sancti Jacobi – Codex Calixtinus (1999)
Hildegard von Bingen Project (multiple programs, 1995-99)
Christmas Music from Aquitanian Cloisters (1996)
Singing Stones (1987-88)
Frauenlob (1987-1990)
Music-drama (multiple projects,1985-92)

Sequentia recordings featuring the men’s vocal ensemble

• Chant Wars
  The Carolingian ‘Globalization’ of Medieval Liturgical Chant
  A collaboration with the ensemble Dialogos, directed by Katarina Livljanic
• Frauenlob (Heinrich von Meissen, ca. 1260-1318)
  The Celestial Woman / Frauenlobs Leich, oder der Guldin Fluegel, zu latin: Cantica Canticorum
• Hildegard von Bingen: Saints
• O Hildegard von Bingen: Jerusalem
• Aquitania
  Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th c.)
• Shining Light
  Christmas Music from Aquitanian Monasteries (12th c.)
• Visions from the Book
  Vocal music inspired by Bible stories (12-14th c.)
• Bordesholmer Marienklage (ca. 1475)
• Vox Iberica I: Sons of Thunder / Donnersöhne
  Music for St. James the Apostle (12th century)
• Vox Iberica II: Codex Las Huelgas
  Music from the Royal Convent Las Huelgas de Burgos (13th -14th centuries)
• Vox Iberica III: El Sabio
  Songs for King Alfonso X of Castile and Léon (1221-1284)
• Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)
  Motets and Chansons
• Philippe le Chancelier (ca. 1165-1236)
  Conductus, Lai, Sequence, Rondellus / ‘School of Notre Dame’

Upcoming Concerts

22 August 2024
Brauweiler, Germany (Abteikirche St. Nikolaus Brauweiler), 7.30 pm
Musen der Sphären (World Premiere)

24 October 2024
Prague, University of Prague (Boethius 150th anniversary)
Boethius - Songs of Consolation (Quartet)

14 February 2025
Kulturzentrum Peterskirche, Kempen
Musen der Sphären

See full concert schedule

News

Benjamin Bagby's teaching activities in 2019

In March 2019, Benjamin will give two weekend courses on the solo songs of Philippe le Chancelier (d. 1236). The courses are being hosted by the Centre de Musique Médiévale de Paris. Dates: 9-10 and 30-31 March.
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After retiring from his teaching position at the University of Paris - Sorbonne, where he taught between 2005 and 2018 in the professional masters program, Benjamin Bagby continues to travel widely in 2019 to teach practical workshops for young professionals:

Folkwang Universität der Künste (Essen-Werden, Germany).
Benjamin has joined the faculty of this renowned masters program for liturgical chant performance and medieval music. The dates of his courses in 2019: 5-7 April; 26-28 April; 17-19 May; 30 May–01 June.
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For the second year in a row, Benjamin will teach an intensive course in the 8th International Course on Medieval Music Performance (Besalú, Spain): Songs of the troubadours (for singers and instrumentalists).
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Amherst Early Music Festival (Connecticut College, New London CT) 21-28 July:
An intensive course on the solo cansos of the Occitan troubadours, with a focus on songs from the great Milan songbook Bibl. Ambr. R71 sup. (for singers and instrumentalists).
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