Collectio Musicorum - Upcoming Performances

Four hundred years ago, in 1623, a book was published in London that changed the course of history.  Shakespeare’s First Folio, published seven years after his death, contains many plays that would have been lost if this book never appeared. 

In this, the quadricentennial anniversary of what has been called the world’s “most influential book,” Collectio Musicorum will perform music from the First Folio, from plays that were first published there and which would have been lost forever if this book had never appeared.

Songs and dances from As You Like It, Macbeth, The Tempest, and other plays are on the program.   The performers include Chad Kranak, Alex Longnecker, Christopher Preston Thompson, singers; Christopher Morrongiello, lute; Patricia Neely, viola da gamba; Jeff Dailey, recorder. 

The concert will feature some music from manuscripts in the Drexel Collection of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which is right across the street.  Joseph Drexel donated his rare collection of 17th century English Music to the precursor of the NYPL in the 19th century.  New York City is indeed a rich resource for the study of Shakespeare.  There are more copies of the First Folio here (6 in the NYPL, 2 in the Morgan Library) than in London (which only has 5).

The concert will take place on Friday, October 27^th at 8 PM at Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church, 152 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023.  It is easily accessible to the #1 subway.  Admission is free. 

Highlights from the concert will be performed on Thursday, October 26^th at St. Malachy’s Chapel, 239 West 49^th Street in Manhattan at 1:15.  This concert is also free.