The acclaimed a cappella ensemble Anonymous 4 returns to Kalamazoo to perform a program of 13th century French music Friday night.
A joint presentation of Fontana Chamber Arts and the WMU Medieval Institute, the program blends sacred works honoring the Virgin Mary and secular songs about a fetching shepherdess named Marion.
Susan Hellauer talks about the connection between medieval music and modern, and relates how clerics of the middle ages frequently wrote about non-spiritual topics such as flirting, food, and romantic yearnings. She also talks about the look and logic of the Montpelier Codex, the musical manuscript from which Anonymous 4 draws on this program.
