A Gallery of Kings

Uses and Abuses of Power ca. 1300

Commissioned by the Reims Festival for the 800^th anniversary of their Cathedral, The Boston Camerata’s A Gallery of Kings program, presented by the Boston Early Music Festival, has its U.S. premiere this June. 

10 June 2025 | 8pm

Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory

For immediate release (Boston, MA) – Songs and stories of powerful kings, both good and bad, abound in the Middle Ages. “May he reign forever!” sings the crowd, but the monarch’s power is limited by his fallible judgement, his formidable adversaries, his love of power, and his own, precarious mortality. These ancient songs of kingship and its snares resonate strongly down the centuries into our own, turbulent time. 

This program was designed by Anne Azéma to respond to the frieze of kings over the main entrance of the Reims Cathédrale, and honors this year’s Boston Early Music Festival theme of Power & Love. 

Established in 1981, the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) is an international leader in early music. Throughout the years, The Boston Camerata has been presented at BEMF’s biennial festival many times throughout over the years, most recently in 2019 with Songs & Mençonges: Medieval Dreams of Prophecy, Love, and Folly, and in 2011 with Le Roman de Fauvel. We have a history of celebrating anniversaries with them, presenting Carmina Burana: Medieval songs from the Benediktbeuren manuscript (ca. 1230) as part of our 50^th anniversary season. And now, we return to the BEMF stage to conclude our 70^th anniversary season. 

Tickets start at $25 and may be purchased here.

Performers

Anne Azéma, Artistic Director, voice, and hurdy-gurdy

Michael Barrett, Joel Frederiksen, Ryan Lustgarten, and John Taylor Ward, voices

with

Shira Kammen, vielle & harp

Dan Meyers, winds

For artistic questions, please reach out to Artistic Director, Anne Azéma: director@bostoncamerata.org 

For press questions, please reach out to Public Relations, Dagny von Mering: communications@bostoncamerata.org 

For other questions, please reach out to Administrator, Victoria Bocchicchio: admin@bostoncamerata.org

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