2024-25 Vocal Ensemble Series

Tenebrae

Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. in Duke Chapel

On Thursday, November 7, two days after a divisive general election, Duke Arts invites our communities to come together for a moment of healing through music with the world-leading British vocal ensemble Tenebrae. This special event is offered at a subsidized rate,* with single tickets set at $10 for the public and free for all Duke students, faculty and staff. $5 add-on tickets are available for children accompanied by an adult.

Described as “phenomenal” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine), Tenebrae is acclaimed for its interpretation of choral works spanning five centuries. Formed in 2001 by former King’s Singer Nigel Short, Tenebrae quickly established a reputation for theatrical programming and precise performances in sacred and secular spaces. Its recorded work has garnered several accolades, including two BBC Music Magazine awards and Grammy nomination.

VOCES8

Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. in Baldwin Auditorium

2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is acclaimed globally for their complex and wide-ranging a cappella concerts. For this special event, the group will perform “Winter Tales,” a program of holiday music spanning centuries, beginning with medieval carol “Angelus ad Virginem” and ending with “Let it Snow.” Bring your family and ring in the holiday season with the soaring voices of VOCES8 in Baldwin Auditorium.

Winter Tales

Chant arr. VOCES8: Angelus ad Virginem
Reena Esmail: The Unexpected Early Hour
Michael Praetorius: Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen
Kerensa Briggs: A Tender Shoot
Sergei Rachmaninov: Bogoroditse Devo
Tamsin Jones: Noel: Verbum Caro Factum Est
Philip Stopford: Lully, Lulla, Lullay
Magnificat Quinti Toni – Hieronymous Praetorius with Joseph Lieber Joseph Mein
In Dulci Jubilo
Elizabeth Poston: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Robert Lucas Pearsall arr. In Dulci Jubilo
Luke Wenceslas Mayernik: The Lamb
Trad. Scandinavian arr. Blake Morgan: Mitt hjerte alltid vanker
Trad. arr. John Rutter: Joseph and Mary
Trad. arr. James Burton: Silent Night
Jay Livingston & Ray Evans arr. Blake Morgan: Silver Bells
Jule Steyn arr. Jim Clements: Let it Snow

Tonality: America Will Be

Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Duke Chapel

Established in 2016 by Alexander Lloyd Blake, Tonality is an award-winning chamber chorus with a mission to deliver authentic stories through voice and body to incite change, understanding and dialogue. For this MLK Weekend concert at Duke Chapel, Tonality will present “America Will Be,” a program that conjures a patriotic future for the United States for all people. The group builds upon choral arrangements of beloved songs like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “A Change is Gonna Come” with striking choral performances of speeches, poetry and texts to create a thought-provoking evening of song. This stirring and powerful new group is a must-see for anyone interested in art that raises tough questions while honoring the promise of a great America.

Thomanerchor Leipzig

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Duke Chapel

The Vocal Ensemble Series closes in Duke Chapel with a concert by famed German boys’ choir Thomanerchor Leipzig. Established in 1212, it’s one of the oldest and most renowned choirs in the world. Associated closely with Johann Sebastian Bach, who served as its cantor (music director) from 1723 until his death in 1750, the choir has preserved and performed his works for generations. With weekly performances in Leipzig, and a touring group of fifty boy singers between ages nine and eighteen, this historic choir captivates audiences worldwide with its impeccable renditions of sacred and secular music. The New York Times calls the choir’s sound “magnificent, soaring, poignant, ethereal.” Their program for this visit includes works by more than ten composers, including Bach.