Medieval Dramas
“An 800-year old show biz spectacular in a high-impact performance.”
- The Washington Post
Daniel and the Lions
Performed for sold-out audiences on three continents, Early Music New York's Daniel and the Lions is a spectacular reconstruction of a 12th-century church play, fully staged and costumed.
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Based on the familiar Old Testament Story including the sumptuous feast of Belshazzar—his overthrow by the powerful army of Darius, the ominous hand-writing on the wall, and Daniel's miraculous escape from the ferocious lions—the play is retold with a flair both dramatic and comic enjoyed by specialists and general audiences alike.
Sponsus
Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
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Sponsus is a lively adaptation of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) and a grand celebration of the rich culture of Aquitania from nine centuries ago.
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In Sponsus, one of the first music dramas ever written, Latin verse alternates with the Occitan language and sonorous melodies resemble Troubadour songs. The Bridegroom (Sponsus), Christ, appears at the Last Judgment and admits the Wise Virgins to heaven while those found not worthy, the Foolish, are met with the reply “I know you not.” Because they have retained oil in their lamps, the Wise Virgins are able to see the Bridegroom approaching in the darkness.
Musicians/actors comprise a cast of ten Virgins, Christ, Gabriel, Oil Merchants and masked Demons culminating with the terrifying moment when the Demons lead the Foolish Virgins in a grotesque procession to conjure the bedlam of a charivari!
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