The Scen3

Guest harpsichordist joins baroque vocal ensemble A preview by Kelly Dean Hansen, April 1, 2024 Evanne Browne started the Boulder-based Seicento Baroque Ensemble in 2011 to share her passion for the often-neglected music of the 17th Century.  She explains that this is beautiful music audiences will not hear elsewhere, performed in a historically informed way […]

Preview by Marc Shulgold Evanne Browne’s been thinking lately about her 36-voice Baroque choir and instrumental group, Seicento Baroque Ensemble (pronounced, Say-CHENTO). And asking some pretty serious questions, too. “What is the relevance of Baroque music,” she wondered. “Why do we care?” In a recent chat to discuss a delightful series of upcoming workshops and […]

A preview by Betsy Schwarm In this case, ‘Rare Byrd’ is not an unexpected avian visitor.  Rather, Seicento Baroque Ensemble – drawing its name from the 17th century – will be spotlighting less familiar works by English composer William Byrd (1543 – 1623).  Sacred verse anthems, madrigals and secular consort songs, the latter for voices […]

A review by Marc Shulgold The concert’s title alliteratively promised “Magnificent Magnificats,” and indeed, the Baroque ensemble Seicento delivered. To celebrate a decade of music-making, the group, led by artistic director Amanda Balestrieri, offered an intriguing triple-header of upbeat choral works, each built on the same joyful Latin text. Heard Sunday afternoon in Boulder’s First […]

Preview article by Betsy Schwarm Boulder-based Seicento Baroque specializes in choral music of the 16th century. Last fall, that focus was expressed in a 500th anniversary commemoration of the Reformation. This spring, the ensemble takes up the secular side of the equation: similarly intricate layers of voices, but significantly higher spirits. The program, to be […]

A preview by Marc Shulgold Before we begin, let’s start with a pronunciation guide. The choral ensemble performing Monteverdi’s glorious Vespers of 1610 later this month is called Seicento. Just say: Say-ee-CHEN-toe. It’s an Italian word meaning 600, but it refers to the cultural world of the Italian Baroque of the 17th Century, a fabulous […]