Concert: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, Herrick Chapel
Anonymous 4, a female a cappella quartet known for their performance of medieval music, is the latest concert in Grinnell’s Public Events series, which brings celebrated performers to campus. Anonymous 4 was invited “because they are world-renown masters of voice. They sing a wide range of music and offer something a that complements the a capella tradition that is so strong here on campus,” says Rachel Bly ’90, director of conference operations and events.
Anonymous 4 was started one afternoon in the spring of 1986 when Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Jaqueline Horner-Kwiatek got together for a music reading session. They wanted to hear what medieval chant and polyphony would sound like when sung by female voices; 27 years later, Anonymous 4 has performed for sold-out audiences in major concert series and at festivals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Anonymous 4’s programs have included music from the year 1000; the ecstatic music and poetry of the 12th-century abbess and mystic Hildegard of Bingen; 13th- and 14th-century chant and polyphony from England, France, and Spain; medieval and modern carols from the British Isles; American folksongs, shape note tunes, and gospel songs; and works newly written for the group. The group has twice been voted one of Billboard’s top classical artists and recently returned to the Billboard charts with the release of Secret Voices (2011), music from the 13th-century, Spanish Codex Las Huelgas.
Tickets are required for this free public performance at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Monday, Feb. 11, in Herrick Chapel.
