Song of Songs, Old and New: Celebrating 25 Years of the Wesleyan Collegium Musicum
Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 6:00pm
Memorial Chapel, 221 High Street, Middletown, Connecticut
RESERVE NOWFree and open to the public.
In its 25th anniversary year, Wesleyan’s Collegium Musicum will perform a concert inspired by the Biblical “Song of Songs.” As this allegorical text can be traced back to Sumerian origins, the program will intersperse ancient Mesopotamian poetry relating to the spiritual marriage of Inanna (Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, and war) and Dumuzi (the shepherd god) with music that reflects the Jewish and Christian understandings of the related mystical union. Biblical language that evokes the fragrance of wine, blossom, fruits, and spices was particularly appealing to European Renaissance composers. The group, under the direction of Professor of Music and Medieval Studies Jane Alden, will present a simple Icelandic form of discant, a polytextual French motet, complex polyphony in multiple parts by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Orlando di Lasso, Guillaume Bouzignac, and Vittoria Aleotti, some contemporary responses to these evocative texts, and the world premiere of a new commission by Stef Conner.Admission is free, and everyone is welcome. We encourage you to RSVP to help us with our planning and to get a reminder the day before this event. While RSVPs are not required for entry, they are a big help! While you're on campus, feel free to talk with our gallery assistants about the exhibitions and other upcoming special programs, like our student-led tours.