​The Newberry Consort Presents Music From Jacobean England Oct. 18-20

CHICAGO — The time of Elizabeth I has been a popular era to depict in movies, plays, books and TV shows. But the era just after Elizabeth I’s death when King James I was on the throne, known as the Jacobean era, is less well known — despite the fact that it was a time of great political intrigue and rich in advancements in science, literature, and the arts, and included the works of Shakespeare, Copernicus, Francis Bacon, and more.

Now, the Jacobean era, which is defined as the years from 1603 to 1625, is finally having its moment. In April, STARZ released the streaming show “Mary & George” that explores the romantic and political intrigue in King James’s court. And now in Chicago, The Newberry Consort is shining a spotlight on the Jacobean era with its new program, I Tremble Not: Music from Jacobean England for Viols, Brass, and Voices.

The concerts will be held Oct. 18, 19, and 20 in Hyde Park, Evanston, and the Loop. The program will feature early 17th-century English music by composers connected with the court of King James I, including Orlando Gibbons, John Dowland, Thomas Lupo, the English Bassanos, John Coprario, and many more.

“I have always loved the music of the Jacobean period; it was such a singular time in England for the humanities. I wanted to create a program that would immerse the audience in this beautiful, complex music and the world it inhabited,” said Liza Malamut, artistic director of The Newberry Consort, adding that the name of the concert comes from a line of poetry in one of Gibbons’s songs.

The program explores the intriguing interconnections of English court musicians, whose music formed the backdrop for the political, scientific, and artistic innovations of the time. “The Jacobean period was extremely short—and extremely fascinating!” Malamut said. “There were many artistic and scientific breakthroughs that affected not only the culture of England, but the world beyond. Politically, though, there were rumblings of unrest that were roiling just beneath the surface. The gunpowder plot occurred during this time, not to mention the formation of the British colonies in North America. The English Civil War broke out only a few decades later. The juxtaposition of a flourishing artistic culture that masked all this rising political upheaval is really interesting to me—and it makes for a great musical story.”

The concert features three English “consorts,” or groups of like instruments: singers, brass (cornetto and sackbut, the predecessor to the modern trombone), and viols (fretted instruments of multiple sizes held between the legs like cellos). A chamber organ will provide resonance, and the lute will also be featured. “Audiences may be familiar with Dowland’s beautiful English lute songs, a highlight of this repertoire,” Malamut said.

Most of the musicians are well known in the Chicago early music scene. These include soprano Erica Schuller, tenor Stephen Wilson, tenor and falsettist Matthew Dean, lutenist Brandon Acker, and organist Jacob Reed. Katherine Shuldiner, Craig Trompeter, Phillip Serna, and Russell Wagner will form the viol consort, and Liza Malamut, Ben David Aronson, Paul Von Hoff, and Garrett Lahr will play sackbuts. Additional special guests include baritone Andrew Kane, bass-baritone Jonathan Woody, and renowned cornettist Kiri Tollaksen.

The concerts will be held on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church in Hyde Park, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Evanston, and Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. at Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University. Tickets are $45 for general seating, $65 for reserved seating and $10 for students with a valid student ID. Affordable access tickets are also available for $25, and children under 16 get in for free. All tickets are available at www.newberryconsort.org.

Concert Details

I Tremble Not: Music from Jacobean England for Viols, Brass, and Voices

The Newberry Consort presents luscious music from 17th-century England for viols, voices, cornetto, lute, and sackbuts, featuring compositions by Orlando Gibbons, John Dowland, Thomas Lupo, the English Bassanos, Thomas Campion, John Coprario, Nicholas Lanier, and more. The program explores the intriguing interconnections of English court musicians, whose music formed the backdrop for political, scientific, and artistic transitions and innovations during the time of Shakespeare and King James I.

Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Chicago, 5650 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago

Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 939 Hinman Ave., Evanston

Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024 at 4 p.m. at Ganz Hall, Roosevelt University, 430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Tickets: $45, $65 for preferred seating, $25 for affordable access tickets, $10 for students with a valid student ID, and free for children 16 and under.

About the Newberry Consort

The Newberry Consort brings together singers and instrumentalists of the highest caliber to create historically informed performances of music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, and beyond. By integrating historical performance and research with contemporary themes and multimedia, we inspire audiences, musicians, and scholars by providing a window into earlier times and diverse cultures. The Consort continues to uplift Chicago’s early music community through mentorships, teaching, and engagement of local artists.