If you’ve ever wondered what a Mexican pastorela would sound like with Mexican Renaissance and Baroque music, then you’re in luck.
The Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble will mark the arrival of the Epiphany with “Spirit Child,” a series of concerts narrated by Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano to tell the story of the shepherds’ pilgrimage to Bethlehem. Times editor Steve Padilla will be part of the singing ensemble.
Most people don't realize that Mexico experienced the tail end of the Renaissance and the music of the late 1500s and early 1600s reflects this. The concert will include a piece with European harmonies but with lyrics in Nahuatl. It will be a mix of a traditional Mexican pastorela play with classical elements.
A beloved Mexican tradition, pastorelas generally involve a series of mishaps and calamities – often at the hand of the Devil – that threaten to derail the shepherds’ journey. While often full of comedic touches, pastorelas are ultimately great testaments of faith and endurance.
The music performed in "Spirit Child" was written by Spaniards working in the Americas in the 1500s and early 1600s or by composers born in the New World. Composers include Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, Gaspar Fernandes, Francisco Guerrero and several others. The music all comes from Mexican archives, with texts in Spanish, Nahuatl, Quechua, Latin and Portuguese.
“Spirit Child” will take place January 4, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, 6700 W 83rd St., in Westchester; and January 5, 2025, at 4 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 122 S. California Ave., Monrovia. A complimentary post-concert holiday reception will follow each performance.
Tickets are available in advance at www.jouyssance.org/current-season or $25 at the door (General Admission), $20 (Seniors/SCEMS members), or $10 for students with current school ID.
As part of its educational outreach program, and funded in part by the Colburn Foundation, Jouyssance offers free admission to members of the American Choral Directors Association, as well as their students.
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