Anonymous 4 at Meany Hall: Friday, December 4

Posted on December 01, 2015, 10:10 am
2 mins

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Seattle audiences have one last chance to see the stellar all-female a cappella ensemble Anonymous 4 in concert on Friday, December 4. Presented in partnership with Early Music Guild and part of the UW World Series program, which brings beloved international performers to the Meany Hall stage, Anonymous 4’s program will be a sort of “best of” line-up, including their characteristic medieval polyphony alongside more contemporary American works. The group has decided that their 2015-16 season will be their last together, and the program will reflect their wide repertoire and celebrate their decades of music-making.

Anonymous 4 is anything but anonymous in the music community; the four women have been singing together for almost 30 years, produced 20 albums, and brought medieval music into visibility, if not the mainstream. I first heard their ethereal straight tone and flawless ensemble singing in my undergraduate medieval music class, where the professor proceeded to gush about how they were the only ones singing this music not only beautifully, but with well-researched historical accuracy.

From the UW World Series website:

Celebrating almost 30 years together, this internationally beloved all-female vocal ensemble presents a very special concert program as part of their historic farewell tour, Anthology, featuring ancient, traditional and modern works from each of their 20 critically acclaimed recordings. Ranging from 11th-century plainchant, richly harmonic English conductus and spicy French motets of the 13th century, to exotic 15th-century Hungarian polyphony, 19th- and 20th-century American ballads, gospel songs and contemporary works, this “best-of” final Seattle performance is not to be missed.

Tickets start at $45, and can be purchased online at the UW World Series website. Keep an eye on their calendar, as they bring in some huge names; to wit, Yo-Yo Ma will be performing a solo concert on Monday, December 8 (see event page for details), and this season will also bring in So Percussion, Anoushka Shankar and the Daedalus Quartet, to name a few.

Anonymous 4 in Concert (Farewell Tour)

Where: Meany Hall, on the UW campus (4140 George Washington Lane NE)

When: Friday, December 4 at 7:30 PM

Claire Biringer is a Seattle-based music lover, educator and writer. She holds an MA in Music History from University of Washington, where her primary research involved contemporary opera and its social implications. She enjoys using music and writing to build communities and broaden minds.