Elizabethan & Jacobean Song & Poetry

Electric Earth Concerts will present a mixed–media concert at the Jaffrey Meetinghouse on Sunday, August 7 at 4pm. Renaissance scholar Claire Preston and the musicians of LeStrange Viols will draw upon rich connections between literature and music to conjure a fascinating view of the 17th century English cultural landscape. Preston will place music of composers William Cranford, Thomas Dowland, Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell in context with observations and readings from 17th century sources, weaving together a virtuoso presentation that engages listeners on multiple levels. The musicians of LeStrange and Ms. Preston will begin with the Elizabethan era, taking listeners on an artistic journey through 17th century England that includes courtly masque music and tumultuous civil war. The 18th-century Jaffrey Meetinghouse is one of the region’s architectural and gems, a venue that is well-known for its superior acoustics.