In the 14th century, Marchetus de Padua titled his treatise on musical notation "Pomerium," meaning "garden" or "orchard," because he felt his work contained all the flowers and fruits that music had to offer. In 1972, Alexander Blachly chose this title to be the name for his newly founded a cappella singing ensemble. Today, with Blachly still leading them, Pomerium is widely regarded for the warmth and precision of its members' voices, for the richness and clarity of their sound, and for being, as stated in The New York Times, "one of the finest early-music ensembles in the country, and perhaps the world."
On Saturday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. in Sage Chapel, the 14 members of Pomerium will present a program of chapel music from Renaissance Spain, featuring the works of the greatest Spanish composers of sacred vocal music, including Francisco Guerrero and Tomas Luis de Victoria.
Tickets for the concert are on sale at the ticket center at the Clinton House on North Cayuga Street in Ithaca, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Stop by or call 273-4497 or (800) 284-8422 for tickets, which are general admission and cost $22 ($12 for students). The concert is sponsored by the Cornell Concert Series.
Based in New York, Pomerium has toured throughout America and Europe. Its members have recorded for several labels, including Nonesuch and Classical Masters, and earned a Grammy nomination for their "Creator of the Stars" album.
In addition to Pomerium, Blachly has served as the director of choral music for the University of Notre Dame since 1993.
| Cornell Chronicle Front Page | | Table of Contents | | Cornell News Service Home Page |