Voices of Ascension Renaissance concert, Apr 23 2026
- ladiesvoices
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
I heard Voices of Ascension in a concert called "Masters of the Renaissance: The Netherlands School" on April 23, 2026. I've been going to V of A concerts at least once a year since around 2003. They're a professional chorus based at the Church of the Ascension in Greenwich Village. They're astonishingly good - - their artistic director and conductor Dennis Keene does a genius job at programming, selecting the singers, and bringing out the glories of the music. They have the perfect mix of warmth and clarity.
The concert opened with three pieces by Rolande De Lassus: "Factus est Dominus," "Justorum Animae," and "Surgens Jesus." The first two pieces showed off Lassus's clean counterpoint and unexpected harmonic shifts. "Surgens Jesus" is about Jesus rising from the dead and Lassus set the opening word, "rising," with a thrilling rising figure. Here's a V of A performance of the piece from 2019:
Next, a set of two pieces by Josquin Des Prez sung by eight singers from the ensemble (the rest of the concert was done by the full ensemble of 28 singers). The smaller ensemble gave a nice change in texture. The "Ave Maria" was maybe a little chilly for my taste, I thought it could have been more rhapsodic. We got more of that in "Tu pauperum refugium." It was beautiful and deeply felt.
The final set on the first half was more De Lassus and one piece by Heinrich Schütz. Three Lassus: "Benedictus es, Domine" rolled out with profound logic, "Christus resurgens ex mortuis" had an infectious joy in the alleluias, and the "Ave verum corpus" had such richness it was hard to believe it was only six parts.
I'm a big fan of Heinrich Schütz. Is it selfish of me to wish that they were doing pieces I know and love, pieces I'd sung in college? But I can't complain that they did "Selig sind die Toten," it was magnificent. Here's Voces8 singing it. Let me give you a guided tour through my favorite moment:
1:28: they start the phrase "Sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit," they rest from all their labors. "Sie ruhen" has a beguiling calmness to it.
1:36: the "von ihrer Arbeit" phrase starts rolling out. It has a predictable harmonic trajectory until...
1:44: OH WOW, I did not see that coming.
The first half ended with the Lassus "Surrexit Pastor bonus," bright and celebratory.
The second half opened with three pieces by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, another composers whose stuff I'd sung in college. Again I was disappointed that Dennis didn't choose the pieces that I love but it's good for me to hear pieces I don't know, right...?
The first piece was one I HAD sung, a charming playful piece, "Or sus, serviteurs du Seigneur." It was a treat to hear that. The next piece, "O Seigneur loué sera," had such a striking, modern sound to the opening, a sense of harmonic stasis that reminded me of a ballerina turning on point, going around and around but not really getting anywhere. Here's a recording by the Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam:
The final piece in the set, "Venite, exultemus Domino" was boisterous and wildly imaginative.
Next up, two secular chansons. V of A is known for doing sacred music, most of their programs are exclusively sacred music - - it's fun to hear them doing something secular. "Mon coeur se recommande à vous" is a piece by Lassus that's been sung by a thousand high school choirs, it's lovely and gratifying to sing. "Il est bel et bon" by Pierre Passereau is rather silly, a welcome change in character for V of A.
They closed with three more pieces by Sweelinck. "Psalm 90" didn't seem inspired to me - - the performance was very good, it was the music that was lackluster. "Psalm 96" was lively. Dennis added some well-chosen dynamic contrasts. No extra charge, right?
The final piece was "Gaudete omnes," bright and joyful. Don't you love it when YouTube gives you an unexpected pleasure? I plugged that title in and one of the first offerings was this first-rate performance by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Concert Choir.
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