Description

Convivium Musicum has been praised by the Boston Globe for "the almost dancing lift given to the rhythms, both musical and verbal." Convivium's adventurous programming ranges from Josquin and Mouton to Sweelinck and Le Jeune, from Peñalosa to Victoria, from the Song of Songs to Dido's lament, and from Europe to New Spain, including masterworks by Byrd, Guerrero, Praetorius, and many other lesser-known composers.

Our programs have ranged from the earliest polyphony to the 1991 world premiere of Richard St. Clair's Missa Syllabica. We have brought this music to concert series, benefits and special events such as First Night Boston and the Boston Early Music Festival.

Convivium is proud to be a corporation run by its singers, who serve on the Board of Directors, manage the group's business affairs, design its programs and publicity materials, and seek out opportunities to perform Renaissance polyphony for new audiences.

The group traces its origins to the Longy Chorus for Early Music, founded in 1982 by Andrew Waldo. The Chorus separated from the Longy School in 1987 and embarked upon an independent existence. Working with many conductors, including some drawn from its own ranks, the group performed throughout the Boston area under the name Ars Canticorum. In 1990 the choir became a non-profit corporation and adopted its current name. Since 1990, we have had the opportunity to work with several of Boston's most talented conductors, including David Hodgkins, David Tiedman, and most recently, Scott Metcalfe.

Convivium Musicum has released Song of Songs: Music of Renaissance Spain and the New World, a CD with pieces based on texts from the Song of Songs, and has plans to release another CD in the near future.