Notes
ABOUT EYA: Eya is an award-winning vocal ensemble based in Washington, DC specializing in the interpretation of medieval music for women's voices. Launched in 2010, Eya has established it's place in the Washington, DC community as an early music ensemble of impeccable vocal quality, deep spirit, and smarts. Directed by Allison Mondel, Eya presents concert programs that interweave diverse repertories of the 12th through 15th centuries, from Hildegard von Bingen to Notre Dame to the flyleaves of early English manuscripts and beyond. Through this lens, these programs seek to tell a story that forges new points of connection between contemporary audiences and medieval repertoire, underlining our common humanity with these early poets and composers. Our performers are some of the finest young early music specialists in the area and appear regularly with the Washington Bach Consort, the National Cathedral, Apollo's Fire, the Folger Consort, Seraphic Fire, and many more. Eya has performed at a variety of venues thus far, notably repeat performances at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University for the opening of special exhibition 'Cross References,' the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe, Georgetown University, and The College of William and Mary, among others. Audiences have praised the ensemble for it's vocal beauty, fascinating and accessible programming, fresh and inspired interpretations, and musicianship of the highest standard. Most recently, Eya is the proud recipient of the 2013 Greater DC Choral Excellence Award for Best Specialty Group: Early Music. Eya (pronounced "EH-yah") is a Latin exclamation of joy. PERFORMERS: Crossley Hawn, soprano Allison Mondel, soprano and music director Nola Richardson, soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano NOTES ON STELLA SERENA: What is more awe-inspiring than the starry night sky? A sea of darkness, made magical with the twinkling of millions upon millions of stars. The sky above is not only a source of beauty and utter wonderment, but it serves to guide sailors, navigators, astronomers, and the like; the night sky is a tool. And as we are all familiar, humanity's conception of the heavens has evolved drastically throughout the centuries. Generally speaking, medieval cosmology (and herein is a vast subject unto itself!), was based largely upon the shoulders of Aristotle and Plato. The general sense was that the universe, embodied in a great, finite sphere, was divided between the earthly realm and the heavens with Earth as the central focus. A worldview held throughout most of the Middle Ages, the celestial spheres above were believed to be fashioned of a different substance, and fixed stars and planets were perfect and unchanging in their motion. Recall that Galileo's substantiation of the heliocentric theory (built upon the previous theories of Copernicus and Kepler) did not erupt until the early 17th century, well before the time in which this program's music is drawn. That said, the Catholic Church was a vital body operating throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, which naturally placed holy emphasis on the celestial realm. Also flourishing during this time was the cult of Mary, in which veneration of the Virgin Mother became an intrinsic aspect of everyday life, especially within monastic and spiritual communities. Mary was viewed as intercessor between mankind and Jesus/God, a conduit between earth and heaven. As such she was often compared to a star in the night sky--a fixed, omnipresent guardian and guide, brilliant with a radiant light. Indeed, there is no shortage of Marian repertoire in the medieval musical canon. This program focuses upon the particular image of Mary as a guiding star, exploring the connection of the human spirit to the celestial God-realm via this unique intercessor. The opening hymn, 'Ave maris stella,' is our starting point. An ancient song believed to have originated in the 9th century, it is one of the earliest surviving examples describing Mary
