While many ensembles perform music from the Baroque era (c. 1600—1750), Seicento is the Colorado's premier vocal ensemble that specializes in the entire era's compositions using historically informed vocal practices. Some of Seicento's favorite composers include Monteverdi, Fernandes, Charpentier, Schütz, Mielczewski, Carissimi, Zipoli, and Buxtehude—less known in the history books, but worthy of rediscovery and performance.
Wonderfully blended sound for choir and instrumental group with guest soloist outstanding; the last longer piece was absolutely breathtaking. Well Done!
Very challenging music; well presented in context and a lot of fun.
Many ensembles make their mark in part by focusing on the music of the Baroque. Seicento Baroque Ensemble goes one step further, drawing its repertoire largely from the generations preceding the almighty Bach. It might seem a risky practice to build one's programs around less familiar names. However, Seicento's audiences have come to trust the ensemble, and last weekend's concerts proved that faith to be well-deserved. —Betsy Schwarm, thescen3.org
Amazing use of the voice as instrument; very impressive.
Fantastic venue, great sound.
Incorporating powerful vocals with stirring instrumentals, the production manages to capture a theatrical element, without actually having elaborate staging or costuming. A grand sound of a trumpet harkens in the start of the show. The instruments used are a variety of replicas of traditional ones of that time, such as recorders made from olive wood. Performing the same pieces that were originally played at sought-after events orchestrated by courts and churches in the 17th century, Seicento Baroque Ensemble has elegantly brought the creative riches of the past into the present. —Kalene McCourt, Boulder Daily Camera
Wonderful blend of voices and instrumentalists with just the right amount of background information.
Interesting program; excellent performance; excellent artists! Thank you.
Keep on with what you are doing.
Seicento’s chorus proved equally able to offer tender pleas to Apollo as they were to forcefully evoke evil magicians. —Betsy Schwarm, thescen3.org
Exquisitely prepared. True to the style of the music and era.
Always a top draw: vocal performance and program theme.
The mission of Seicento Baroque Ensemble is to educate, inspire, and foster music appreciation on the part of the public through historically informed performances of Baroque chamber music. The Seicento Baroque Ensemble emphasizes education for singers, instrumentalists, and the public of all ages about the Baroque period in history, in particular its music, composers, compositions and performance practices.
With a name inspired by the Italian word Seicento which means "six hundred" and refers to the culturally rich 1600s in Italy, the Seicento Baroque Ensemble was founded in 2011 to fill a void in the Colorado choral scene by performing worthy but rarely-heard music of the early baroque musical period. The group is an auditioned chamber choir that uses historically-informed performance practices and period instruments.
Seicento Baroque Ensemble's concerts are frequently performed with vocal soloists, baroque strings, violas da gamba, harpsichord, recorders, sackbuts, baroque flute, and oboe- musicians who specialize in early music performance. Seicento's concerts and pre-concert talks offer a more in-depth look at the highlighted composers and instruments and incorporate creative connections such as baroque artwork, baroque dance, and history.
Seicento’s founder and artistic director, Evanne Browne, returns to conduct the group as of the fall of 2022. In her tenure, Browne has shown her creativity in research and programming of exciting but rarely performed choral works, including music from the Kremsier archives (Czech Republic); a scripted concert about the arts patron Queen Christina of Sweden; early oratorios of Charpentier and Carissimi; music of Colonial Latin America and the New World; music for voices and viols (violas da gamba); Handel's Dixit Dominus; and the Western Hemisphere premiere of the scrumptious De Lalande Dies Irae. Browne is the only person in Colorado to have conducted the challenging Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, which Seicento presented in 2015.
Seicento is Ensemble in Residence at First United Methodist Church, Boulder, Colorado.
Organization name
Seicento Baroque Ensemble
other names
SBE
2011
Tax id (EIN)
45-2862140
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
PO Box 171Mailing
PO Box 171Boulder County, CO, US
Denver County, CO, US