Music from the Land of Three Faiths

Minnesota-based Rose Ensemble returns to Houston on Sunday, Oct. 18, to open the Houston Early Music season with “Music from the Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims.” Exploring language, spirituality and cultural exchange, this Emerging Artists Series program will also feature the Concert Chorale of Bellaire High School. A preconcert talk will begin at 4:15 p.m.

The program includes several songs from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (Songs of the Virgin Mary), a culturally diverse collection of poetry, music and art from the court of Spain's King Alfonso X (1252-1284). There also will be traditional Sephardic songs that the Jews took with them to North Africa and Eastern Europe when they were expelled from Spain. Other offerings range from 12th-century Italian plainchant to Bedouin folk music, with many stops in between.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this season, the Rose Ensemble features nine vocalists, although Sramek also plays psaltery and hurdy-gurdy in addition to singing tenor. Instrumentalists include oud player David Burk, percussionist Tim O'Keefe and vielle, rebec and harp player Ginna Watson.

Before the concert, the ensemble will spend the weekend in residency at Bellaire High School, working with students in its Concert Chorale. A similar, although smaller, outreach event there during the Rose Ensemble's last visit to the Houston Early Music series in 2013 led to the current concert collaboration with the Chorale.