Five Boroughs Music Festival Presents The New Consort

New York City's Five Boroughs Music Festival (5BMF) will continue its 2024-25 Season with the debut of vocal chamber ensemble The New Consort performing their program RETURN / REVIVE: A Meditation on Grief, Hope, and Community on Friday, November 1, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Art Haus and Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church on Staten Island. 

"Jonathan and I have been discussing a piece for The New Consort that grows out of Robert White's Lamentations since the height of the pandemic - when, from the loss of colleagues and friends to the overnight collapse of our industry, there was all too much for vocal musicians to lament,” baritone and Artistic Director of The New Consort, Brian Mummert, said. “I'm thrilled to be able to present the world premiere of Jonathan Woody's Lamentation at these concerts, and to share this program with you. We hope that the story we tell with RETURN/REVIVE - one of adversity, yes, but also one of contemplation, and healing, and community - helps inspire you to face the adversities of our own time with strength and compassion."

The program pairs two major works, one ancient and one brand new. First, marking the 450th anniversary of Tudor composer Robert White, The New Consort performs his Lamentations a5, which gorgeously, viscerally expresses Jeremiah's sorrow at the Biblical destruction of Jerusalem, made all the more poignant in light of his tragically early death from the Black Plague in 1574. In response, acclaimed composer and ensemble member Jonathan Woody's Lamentation, commissioned with the support of Chamber Music America's Classical Commissioning Grant, explores modern experiences of LGBTQ+ loss and otherness, but also celebrates the ability of communities to mold adversity into hope and purpose. These two musical pillars are interwoven with music by David Lang, Billie Eilish, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and more, to take the listener on a journey from darkness to light, perfect for the weekend of All Saints' and All Souls' Day.

In the new year, celebrated Grammy Award-winning Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh returns to 5BMF with the Grammy Award-winning Aizuri Quartet for a collaborative program titled Music and Migration on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. at Brooklyn Public Library as part of BPL Presents and on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Ida K. Lang Recital Hall at Hunter College, tickets and reservation information available soon. 

Event Information:
5BMF Presents THE NEW CONSORT in RETURN / REVIVE: A Meditation on Grief, Hope, and Community
Friday, November 1, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Brooklyn Art Haus | 24 Marcy Ave | Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tickets: $15
Link: https://5bmf.org/the-new-consort/ 

Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church | 309 Saint Paul's Avenue | Staten Island, NY 10304
Tickets: $15
Link: https://5bmf.org/the-new-consort/ 
 
Program:
Jonathan Woody - Lamentation 
Jonathan White -  Lamentations a5
Additional Works TBA

Artists:
The New Consort