MOUNTAINSIDE BAROQUE RETURNS TO THE REANAISSANCE
ON MARCH 8 WITH ‘THE FIELD OF THE CLOTH OF GOLD’
Welcome spring and enjoy the splendors of the Renaissance with ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold,’ a Mountainside Baroque concert on Sunday, March 8 in Cumberland, Maryland. The 4pm concert will be preceded at 3:30pm by a discussion of the music in its historical context.
This performance is inspired by a most famous sixteenth-century event, when Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England met cordially for three weeks in 1520. The kings both brought their court musicians, who of course performed the great French and English music of the time. Mountainside Baroque will revisit this lavish gathering, renowned as The Field of the Cloth of Gold.
The concert will be held in the Tudor-style Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Hall, festooned with hangings by local artist Lynne Dale. Concertgoers will be seated in the round, putting them in the center of the action.
In addition to the Scholars of St. Cecilia, the featured soloists are: Katie Hendrix, Nathan Medley, Ben Hawker, Ryan Mullaney and Corbin Phillips. The early brass group, The Washington Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, will add further to the festive atmosphere, both as an ensemble, and as accompaniment to the solo singers and choir.
This concert recalls the time the two courts put on one of the most opulent displays of wealth in history, when each king tried to outshine the other. There were dazzling tents and clothes, huge feasts, music, jousting and games. The tents and the costumes used so much gold cloth (an expensive fabric woven with silk and gold thread) that the site of the meeting was named after it. At the time, music was another way to display wealth and power, so each monarch brought their composers (including such luminaries as Robert Fayrfax and Jean Mouton), choirs and instrumentalists.
Fans of Wolf Hall may recognize famous names among the thousands of lords and ladies who were in attendance: English Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Thomas More, Katherine of Aragon (still Henry’s wife) and Anne Boleyn (she came with the French Court and this was perhaps the first time he met her.)
Mountainside Baroque is an early music collective established in Cumberland in 2011 by co-directors Ryan Mullaney and Lyle Nordstrom. It is known for its excellent, dynamic performances, drawing on the finest early music specialists from across the country. These professionals return to Mountain Maryland for great music, fresh air, and the great vibe here, features that also attract audiences from around the mid-Atlantic region.
“The Field of the Cloth of Gold: a Renaissance Fair,” takes place on Sunday, March 8, beginning at 4pm in the Parish Hall at Emmanual Episcopal, 16 Washington Streets in Cumberland, Maryland. A discussion of the musical context will precede the performance at 3:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at mountainsidebaroque.org. See other performance highlights at youtube.com/@mountainsidebaroque4336
