New York Polyphony is unique in today’s music world. ADVERTISING New York Polyphony is unique in today’s music world. The four-man vocal ensemble combines the most ancient music with the most cutting-edge: from recently unearthed music of the Renaissance to
New York Polyphony is unique in today’s music world.
The four-man vocal ensemble combines the most ancient music with the most cutting-edge: from recently unearthed music of the Renaissance to a modern mass based on Darwin’s “Origin of Species,” from traditional Christmas carols to the winning entries from an online Gregorian chant remix competition.
The a cappella quartet, which has established a reputation for its singing being a blend of passion and precision, will perform the final concert in the Hawaii Concert Society’s 2014-15 season at 7:30 p.m. March 31 at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Performing Arts Center.
Polyphony is a style of musical composition employing two or more simultaneous but relatively independent melodic lines.
“Polyphony is in our title and Renaissance polyphony is at the center of our mission, and much of that music is religious in nature,” said baritone Christopher Dylan Herbert.
Countertenor Geoffrey Williams, the highest voice in the quartet, equivalent to a male alto, points out, “There’s a very human nature to this music that expresses themes that everyone can relate to, whether they’re a believer or not.”
The use of countertenors in sacred polyphonic music was commonplace through the mid-17th century, but then waned. The English singer Alfred Deller was largely responsible for reviving interest in countertenors from the mid-20th century on.
“I like to say Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) was the first American countertenor,” Williams said.
The other members of the group are Steven Wilson, tenor, and Craig Phillips, bass.
The Hilo concert will include 15th century English motets by Dunstable, Power, Plummer, Byttering and Pyamour, plus a selection of works by the medieval Machaut, other masters of the early Renaissance, and present-day composers Jackson Hill, John Scott and countertenor Williams.
Tickets for the March 31 performance are $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors, $10 for students and $5 for up to three students in grades 1-12 accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available at the Most Irresistible Shop, Music Exchange, East Hawaii Cultural Center and the UH-Hilo Box Office. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door.
