New Year's Day Evensong & Masque

New Year’s Day Choral Evensong

and

New Year’s Masque

at

Christ Church, Cobble Hill

The Cobble Hill Consort, made-up of the Christ Church Choir and the Canoni Chorale, both under the direction of Donald Barnum, will sing Evensong at Christ Church, Cobble Hill at 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon on New Year’s Day, Sunday,  1st  January 2012.  Unlike recent evensongs, which highlighted  polyphonic settings of the canticles and anthems, this service will feature simple plainsong settings.

Following the service, all are invited to the Christ Church Rectory for the Rector’s Annual New Year’s Day Open House and a New Year’s Masque!

What is a masque???  The masque was a form of festive courtlyentertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe.  A masque involved music and dancing, singing and acting. Professional actors and musicians were hired for the speaking and singing parts. Of all the arts of theRenaissance, the masque is the artistic form most alien to audiences today. The most outstanding humanists, poets and artists of the day, in the full intensity of their creative powers, devoted themselves to producing masques; and until the Puritans closed the English theatres in 1642, the masque was the highest artform in England. But because of its ephemeral nature, not a lot of documentation related to masques remains, and much of what is said about the production and enjoyment of masques is still part speculation.

While we cannot promise dancing, we will have music and singing, and some acting to accompany a fully-laden board of holiday food and drink!

Please join us and usher in the New Year with a flourish!

For information, please call 718 875 3144.