Distinguished Artist Series Brings Renowned Musical Group 'Anonymous 4' to Baylor
by Lauren Venegas, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
Baylor University's Distinguished Artist Series, the School of Music's foremost set of guest artist concerts featuring performances by some of the world's finest musicians, will continue with Anonymous 4, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 in Roxy Grove Hall on the Baylor Campus.
Anonymous 4 is a female a cappella group, based in New York City, with a main performance genre of medieval music. They also perform works by living composers such as Steve Reich and John Tavener. The group consists of Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellaer, Jaqueline Horner and Johanna Maria Rose.
The group is famous for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing, combining musical, literary and historical scholarship with contemporary performance.
Richard Veit, concert and promotions manager for the Baylor School of Music, said that the group's name is a pun on the name used to refer to an anonymous English music theorist of the late 13th century, Anonymous IV, who is the principal source on the two famous composers of the Notre Dame school, Léonin and Pérotin.
"This is an opportunity for Baylor and the Waco community to hear one of the world's finest early-music vocal groups," Veit said. "The first half of the program is a compact medieval Ladymass, with British chant and polyphony from their bestselling Ladymass CDs. The second half is a collection of Anglo-American sacred and secular songs from their hit CDs American Angels and Gloryland."
Veit also added that Anonymous 4 performed at Baylor in 1996 and that they were a hit.
The purpose of the Distinguished Artist Series is to expose world-class performers and act as a cultural outreach to Baylor students and the Waco community. The concerts are presented three to four times a year.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Baylor School of Music box office at (254) 710-3571 or by visiting the School of Music Web site under "Concert Information."