Past Silbiger Recipients
September 8, 2023: Elm City Consort
Concert entitled “To Ornament Things Divine.” Sacred and devotional music of William Byrd for voices and viols; with guest singers from the New Consort (NYC).
“Record heat and humidity, venues without air conditioning, severe thunderstorms at concert time, and a late request from the singers to lower the pitch to 392. Then a singer accidentally locked his music and concert clothes in a room for which no one had a key! Despite feeling at times that the fates were aligned against us, the recent Elm City Consort performances of William Byrd’s music with guest singers from The New Consort were a big success. We discovered that many people in our sizable audiences were unfamiliar with any of the music on the program, which we centered around the Mass for Three Voices (one singer per part), with the addition of consort songs, anthem for three to six voices and a few instrumental works. And everyone appreciated that we handed out fans along with the programs!…Maybe the best indication of the success of the project was that despite all the adversity, everyone expressed the fervent wish to do it again.” –Michael Rigsby, Elm City Consort director
December 16, 2022: Il Concerto di Salamone Rossi Hebreo & El Dorado Consort
Special Shabbat service in Westwood, MA commemorating the 400th anniversary of the publication of the first choral music written for the synagogue. Works include selections from Salamone Rossi’s 1622 publication HaShirim Asher LiShlomo as well as his instrumental works and madrigals performed with violas da gamba and voices.
June 10-11, 2022: Long & Away
Concerts in Shirley and Boston, MA – A celebration of spring with joyous works for voices and viols by Lassus, Senfl, Marenzio and others.
“The mostly joyful and occasionally serious program “So Trinken Wir Alle”, celebrated spring, love, nature, and dancing, with a splash of wine added for good measure. It [was] full of morning birdsong, nighttime meditations, musings on love, lusty songs in praise of wine, and French and Italian dance tunes. Some jolly use of props, lively acting from the singers, occasional percussion and the unexpected addition of soprano recorder engaged and entertained the audience beyond pure enjoyment of the music…The concerts were very well received by small but appreciative live audiences…all musicians very much enjoyed working together (especially after not having played concerts for two years!), and audiences were well pleased.” — Elise Groves and Anne Legêne
June 20, 2021: Church of St. Andrew, Marblehead, MA
Concert entitled “The Cries and Ballads of London.” Music by Gibbons, Tallis, Byrd, Coprario, and Tomkins
“For all of us, it was a very moving experience, as this was the first concert that several of us had performed in front of a live audience since the beginning of the pandemic, more than a year ago. There were a good number of people in the church audience, and the performance was also live streamed on Facebook Live. […] The music sounded lovely in the church, and the audience was very appreciative. It was a privilege to have been part of this event, and we are all grateful to the Silbiger committee and the VdGS-NE for sponsoring our performance.” –Carol Lewis Viol Player/Organizer
“A few years ago I applied for the Silbiger Grant. I met Carol Lewis, and we talked about music. She showed me several “Cries of London” folios by different composers. The Orlando Gibbons composition grabbed my imagination. […] Last September I started “Jubilate Chamber Choir,” a group of eight voices, mostly friends from the area. […] It was a privilege to work with [them] over the past year, and to have the El Dorado Consort through the Silbiger Grant was really the icing on the cake. I think both groups enjoyed each other, and the concert was fun for all!” –Mary Jodice, director
November 12-14 2021 (Postponed from March 2020): Schola Cantorum of Boston
Concerts in Boston and Providence of Verse anthems, motets and consorts by Gibbons, Byrd, and White
“It is always a pleasure to collaborate with viols, and interesting to work with this beautiful set of matched viols at A 460. I was particularly interested in doing some of David Wulstan’s excellent reconstructions (from an organ part only) of several Gibbons verse anthems.[…] It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to explore this repertoire with such able players.” —Fred Jodry, director, Schola Cantorum
“More than one listener likened the sound of the consort to an organ. The acoustic of St. Joseph Church in Providence was particularly well-suited to the combined ensembles, and we were excited to see large and enthusiastic audiences at both performances. Schola Cantorum’s large following were clearly energized to hear the group after nearly two years of silence. We were grateful to be part of their return to live performance.” —Sarah Mead Viol Player/Organizer
April 14, 2019: Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA
Performance of Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri
July 10, 2018: Joshua Garvey and three Boston area LGBT charities
Concert at First Church in Boston featuring John Harbison’s The Cross of Snow and works by Dowland
“The arrangement of voice and viol consort worked perfectly for this celebration of community and support with Garvey’s mellow, sensitive voice weaving in and out of the texture, at times instrumental and at others soloistic. The title “This Cross Upon my Breast,” a reference to the Harbison cycle, became a reference to what happens when we as a society speak out about our inner suffering and support each other – the trauma that weighs us down transforms from a burden into an expression of the divine.” –Audience review
December 11, 2016: Harvard Memorial Church, Cambridge, MA
Gibbons This is the Record of John with instrumental music by Bull and Byrd.
September 20, 2015: First Church in Boston, Boston, MA
Concert with Gibbons Cries of London and works by Purcell and Weelkes
September 14, 2014: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Falmouth, MA
Concert with music of Purcell, Byrd, Sheppard, et al.
“The setting was beautiful and old worldly as the church was lit only by candle light (plus our stand lights)…I can safely say that there has not been a performance with four viols on Cape Cod in at least the last 12 years since I have lived here. The feedback from both audience and the singers was most enthusiastic.” — Molly Johnson Viol Player/Organizer.
November 3, 2013: The Unitarian Church in Westport, Westport, CT
Verse anthems by Byrd and Tomkins with instrumental music by Byrd and Weelkes
September 28, 2012: Trinity Episcopal Church, Lime Rock, CT
Verse anthems by Weelkes, Tomkins and Gibbons with instrumental music by Gibbons and Mico
March 17 – April 7, 2011: Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA
Lenten noon meditation series, J.S. Bach sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord
December 24, 2009: St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Natick, MA
Excerpts from Schütz Weinachtshistorie with viols and sackbuts.
September 14, 2008: St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church, Blue Hill, ME
Vocal and Instrumental Music by Tye, Dowland, Byrd, et al.
May 4, 2008: First Parish in Framingham Unitarian-Universalist, Framingham, MA
Vocal and Instrumental music by Byrd
April 1, 2007: First Church in Boston, Boston, MA
Vocal and Instrumental music by Schein and Schütz
March 19, 2006: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Stamford, CT
Vocal music of Hassler and Gibbons; Instrumental music by Jenkins, Hume, and Holborne.
March 6, 2005: Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston MA
Vocal music of Bach, Buxtehude, and Hassler; Instrumental pieces by Rosenmüller and Ward.
February 2, 2003: St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, Cambridge, MA
Instrumental pieces by Gussago, Banchieri, et al with Eccard Maria wallt zum Heiligtum
May 5, 2002: Pakachoag Church, Auburn, MA
Fantasias and verse anthems by Byrd and Gibbons.
December 30, 2001: Trinity Episcopal Church, Topsfield, MA
Christmas music by Charpentier, Byrd et al.
October 28, 2001: Immanuel Congregational Church, Hartford, CT
Gibbons verse anthems and Dowland instrumental music.
February 20, 2000: Church of Our Savior, Mont Vernon, NH
Gibbons Lead us, O Father and instrumental music.
December 12, 1999: Christ Lutheran Church, Natick, MA
Gibbons This is the record of John and instrumental music.
November 7, 1999: All Saints Church, Belmont, MA
Evensong with music by Tallis and Tye
March 20, 1998: Temple Beth David, Westwood, MA
Sinfonias and liturgical music by Salamone Rossi
November 2, 1997: First Church in Christ, Congregational, Farmington, CT
Gibbons verse anthems and Ferrabosco fantasias
January 12, 1997: Mason Congregational Church, Mason, NH
Metrical psalms and devotional music by Dowland, Byrd, Allison et al.
January 14, 1996: Harvard Memorial Church, Cambridge, MA
Music of Tallis, Mundy and Philips.
December 8, 1996: Pilgrim Church, Sherborn, MA
Vocal and instrumental music of Byrd and Gibbons
May 26, 1996: Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA
Music of Schein, Schütz, and Tunder.
April 14, 1995: St. Paul’s Church, Dedham, MA
Verse anthems by William White and Eric Haas, Five Variants on Wondrous Love.