The Clarion Choir and The Clarion Orchestra Presents Josquin Des Prez Marathon at The Met Cloisters, June 8-9

Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Josquin des Prez, the players and singers of The Clarion Choir and The Clarion Orchestra gather in The Met Cloisters on June 8 (3-8 PM) and June 9 (7 -8 PM) to tell the story of one of the most important artistic figures of the Renaissance in one of New York's most extraordinary museums. From his most significant early works to more mature expressions that changed the course of music, Clarion explores Josquin's music in an inspiring marriage of music, art, and architecture.

On June 8, over the course of five hours, recorder, brass, viol, and vocal consorts from The Clarion Orchestra and Choir perform repertoire including Josquin's witty Italian madrigals Scaramella and El Grillo, in addition to some of his most beloved and historically important motets, the grand setting of De Profundis, and his famous Ave Maria. They also perform the poignant tribute he wrote to Ockegham, Nymphes des Bois, set to a poem by Jean Molinet.

The marathon also includes music from three of Josquin's complete mass settings - the largest, most 'symphonic' form of the early 16th century. The Clarion Choir sings the Kyrie from Missa Hercules Dux Ferrariae, a mass written for the Duke of Ferrara, and built upon a cantus firmus melody that is derived from the spelling of the Duke's name, two movements from the late masterpiece, Missa Pange Lingua, and, at the end of the day, a complete performance of the Missa L'Homme Armé sexti toni, based on one of the most popular Renaissance folk tunes, 'the Armed Man.'

Each work during the marathon is chosen to suit the setting of the surrounding Medieval architecture, with its fusion of different styles, some sacred and some secular. A sacred work is performed in one of the sacred galleries with sacred Medieval art surrounding it, as the chansons are sung in secular spaces of the building. Performance spaces include the Romanesque Hall, Cuxa Cloister, Langon Chapel, and the Saint-Guilhem Cloister. All of the singers and players come together for a final performance of the Missa L'Homme Armé sexti toni mass to end the June 8 performance in the Fuentidueña Chapel.

While tickets for the June 8 marathon quickly sold out, tickets are now available for $65 for a performance of Josquin's mass - Missa L'Homme Armé sexti toni together with motets De Profundis and Ave Maria- on June 9 at 7 PM. Please contact Lauren at lauren@clarionsociety.org to be put on the waitlist for the June 8 marathon. Same-day admission to the Museum is included with purchase of tickets for the June 9 performance. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Met Cloisters location is Fort Tryon Park, upper Manhattan. For more information about these Josquin performances, visit Clarion's website.

Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as "a revelation," The Clarion Choir is one of the country's leading professional vocal ensembles. Their recent recording of Kastalsky's Requiem reached #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Charts and was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Choral Performance. The Clarion Choir has performed regularly in recent years as part of the MetLiveArts series at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; including performances of large-scale Renaissance works by Victoria, Palestrina, Taverner, and Guerrero in the Medieval Sculpture Hall and the Met Cloisters. The Choir, and artistic director Steven Fox, have collaborated in recent years with renowned artists such as Harry Bicket and The English Concert at Carnegie Hall, Eric Jacobsen and The Knights, Susan Graham, Leonard Slatkin and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and Madonna at the 2018 Met Gala.