News Release
December 1998
The all-female vocal quartet Anonymous 4 will perform
"On Yoolis Night" at Moravian College on December 8, 1998
at 8:00 p.m. The concert will be held at Foy Concert Hall on the College’s
South Campus.
Anonymous 4 will be performing "On Yoolis Night"
which is the groups second recording. It is comprised of Medieval carols
and Motets.
The group began in 1986 and includes Marsha Genensky,
Susan Hellauer, Jacqueline Horner, and Johanna Maria Rose. This a capella
group performs medieval chant and polyphony, most of which is sacred.
They have performed all over the world and the U.S. in such cities as
New York, Boston, Brussels, and Kracow. They also made their debut at
Tanglewood this summer. They have performed in a number of early music
festivals including Flanders Early Music Festival in Bruges, Belgium
and the Festival du Thoronet in France. Anonymous 4 has also been featured
in television shows such as "Weekend Edition," and "CBS
Sunday Morning."
Anonymous 4 has produced many recordings and won awards
for them. All of their recordings were named to the top ten on billboard’s
classical chart and sold almost one million copies. "An English
Ladymass," their first recording and ""The Lily and the
Lamb," their fourth recording, were named classical disc of the
year by CD Review and Classic CD.
Jacqueline Horner is the newest member of the group. This
Irish-born singer replaced the Anonymous 4 member Ruth Cunningham in
May. Ms Cunningham left the foursome to pursue her career in using sound
to heal.
Each member of Anonymous 4 focuses on different aspects
of musical activity. Ms. Hellauer researches the music and translates
the Latin, Ms. Genensky and Ms. Rose research the literary and pronunciation
and translate the Middle English and French, and Ms. Horner researches
projects for the future with contemporary composers.
The group’s idea of a perfect concert is just under
an hour and a half, uninterrupted by applause, without intermission,
and consisting of a single theme: a saint, a feast day, a liturgical
service, a single manuscript, or a literary idea. The quartet creates
a unity from short works by combining chant and polyphonic music, plus
spoken or sung narrative.
In medieval times women were prohibited from singing in
the cathedral so they would not have been singing the music that Anonymous
4 performs "professionally," but women did sing hymns and
chant in the convent. Women also sang polyphony as well.
Anonymous 4 will be touring with the New York based male
group Lionheart. This ensemble is made up of six men who also sing medieval
music. The two ensembles will be performing the works of the great composer
Johannes Ockeghem.
Anonymous 4 will also record and tour a contemporary oratorio
by Richard Einhorn, "Voices of light," which features the
ladies singing as the voice of Joan of Arc. This piece was written to
accompany a classic silent film, "The Passion of Joan of Arc,"
by Carl Dreyer.
The ticket price is $10 general admission, $5 children,
and free for LVIAC & senior citizens. For information call 610-861-1650
or 861-1491.
