The Black Madonna is an image of the feminine divine which links Christianity with earlier wisdom traditions. Throughout the world, icons of the Black Madonna have been revered for their spiritual power and mystical capacity for healing. Over the centuries, innumerable miracles were attributed to the Black Madonna, and she became the object of deep adoration and medieval pilgrimage. A body of extraordinary music was collected to be used by pilgrims to her and to Santiago de Compostela, where another copy of her statue rests. These haunting songs, bound together in the Libre Vermell (“Red Book”) of 1399 reveal a unique mixture of musical influences: Gregorian chant, gypsy harmonies, Sephardic Jewish, and pagan melodies. The music, like the Black Madonna herself, embraces life in all of its contradictions, both secular and sacred, darkness and light.

Pilgrimage: Music and Art in Celebration of the Santiago de Compostela and the Black Madonna of Montserrat

7:30 p.m. A Pre-Concert Lecture Pre-concert lecture and slideshow on the tradition of Christian medieval pilgrimage the Black Madonna

8:00 p.m. A Concert Featuring the entire collection of Libre Vermell medieval pilgrim songs, performed by Shira Kammen, Devi Mathieu, Vox Flores and Vox Terrae vocal ensembles

• Libre Vermell: Songs for the Black Madonna
• Shira Kammen, harp and vielle, Devi Mathieu, soprano
• Vox Flores and Vox Terrae vocal ensembles
• TerriAnne Gutierrez and Joweh Dance Companywith Annie Hallatts Black Madonna puppets
  

Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 7:30 p.m

St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church

500 De Haro St. at Mariposa

San Francisco CA

www.saintgregorys.org/events

Devi Mathieu enjoys singing early and contemporary music, and has performed in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Vermont, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Spain.  She sings and teaches the music of Hildegard von Bingen, and played the roles of Castitas and Misericordia in Hildegard’s opera, Ordo Virtutem. Devi often joins Shira Kammen and composer and pianist W. A. (Allaudin ) Mathieu to form the trio Ephemeros, a contemporary music ensemble that presents early music alongside new compositions. Ephemeros has performed and recorded song settings of poetry by Hildegard, Jelaludin Rumi, and Mary Oliver. For information about recordings, visit www.coldmountainmusic.com. Contact Devi about Hildegard workshops or future performances at dmathieu@sonic.net.

Kayleen Asbo, MM, is professor of music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, an expressive arts therapist and coach, writer, and retreat leader. She lectures widely on the mystical path and the relationship between myth, religion psychology and the arts. She is a founding board member of the Numina Center for Arts and Spirituality and an experienced Labyrinth facilitator.

The women of Vox Flores came together as a part of the vision of the Numina Center for Spirituality and the Arts. We are devoted to the practice of sacred music and we offer the fruits of this practice for the benefit of all. We are pleased to join with the members of Vox Terrae for this concert.