The La Jolla Renaissance Singers

Since 1963, the La Jolla Renaissance Singers have been bringing the finest of early choral music to the San Diego area. Based in La Jolla, California, the elite choir draws members from across the county.

The 25-member group performs vocal music written from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, with occasional forays into the Romantic and Modern periods. In period costume, the group performs in concert halls, museums, and churches, as well as in libraries, parks, and for private parties.

The La Jolla Renaissance Singers rehearse weekly on Wednesday evenings in La Jolla. Since rehearsals are a capella, sight-singing ability is essential.

To schedule an audition, receive email notification of our appearances, or to hire us for performance, please contact us.

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This season, LJRS presents...

Festino

Entertainment for the Eve of Carnival Thursday
A Madrigal Comedy

by Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634)

Music history is full of "one hit wonders": composers or performers who create something memorable and endearing, while the rest of their creative output sinks into the murky mire of time and forgotten fashion. Adriano Banchieri (1568-1634), for all practical purposes, could be considered such a composer. His short Contrappunto bestiale all menta (Counterpoint of the animals) has remained a favorite of choirs for centuries. It's enjoyable to sing, and fun to listen to, and serves as an example for the "See, classical music isn't always so serious" argument. Contrappunto is but one movement of a larger work -- the twenty-piece madrigal comedy from 1608, Festino nella sera del giovedi grasso avanti cena (Fete for the Evening of Carnival Thursday Before Supper). To see this single movement as a part of a larger whole gives us a different context for its humor and brevity.

Festino shows many examples of that "common man". In fact, the entire plot premise, as simple as it is, centers on the most universal of human experiences -- a drunken group of revelers, waiting for their next party to start. The setting is on Carnival Thursday, a day that could actually be AFTER Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), or the week BEFORE Mardi Gras, depending on the region. Either way, the characters are on a mission -- to create a memorable evening. Banchieri moves one piece to the next, with simple, spoken introductions in between each one. Cleverly, he does not create an endless array of one silly piece after another. He flits from one mood to another, just as a group of friends would do today, after several bottles of wine. At once point, the singers are creating dances, at another, yearning love songs. For a moment, they harass passers-by, calling them names or taunting them with dirty jokes. Then, they are back to singing "in the old style", or presenting something in a trendier form. By balancing the silly with the sublime, Festino becomes a fully rounded dramatic piece, with varying shades of emotion, all tinted with irreverence and tipsy abandon. By experiencing this madrigal comedy from beginning to end, we realize that Banchieri has much more artistry to offer than a single "hit".

Concert Schedule

Past programs

Sound Bites

Click the links below to hear recordings from our previous performances

• Nachgruner Farbmein Herzverlangt
• In Dulci Jubilo
• Gaudete Omnes
• Joseph Liber
• Quem Pastores Laudavere
• Tribus Miraculis
• Mass for Four Voices - Credo
• Mass for Four Voices - Gloria
• Mass for Four Voices - Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei
• In Dulci Jubilo

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LJRS is a Federally Certified 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Arts Organization, which means that any donation you make to us is fully tax deductible. Please help us grow!