Programs

Karin Lagergren and the ensemble Gemma offer the following programs:

The Miracles of Our Lady

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary was the most sung and written about woman, often called Our Lady. This programme features songs by the 13th century French monk Gautier de Coincy (1177-1236), selected from his collection Miracles de Nostre Dame: Miracles of Our Lady. The songs are interspersed with medieval Swedish Marian miracle stories, such as the miracle of Our Lady’s tunic and the miracle of the knight and the joust. These miracle stories are taken from Fornsvenska legendariet (the Old Swedish Legendary) – one of the Swedish bestsellers of the Middle Ages. The programme is performed in a lightly staged form. Participants include Karin Lagergren (vocals), Emelie Roos (recorder, vocals) and Dohyo Sol (lute, vocals).

Gaude Birgitta –  A narrative concert about St Birgitta of Sweden

Gaude Birgitta is a solo performance somewhere between a concert and a lecture with live music. With the arrival of St Birgitta in Rome in 1349 and her death in 1373 as frame for the narrative, Karin Lagergren tells the story of Birgitta’s vocation, her abbey, and chant’s position within this highly unique monastic creation.

The first public performance of the program took place in 2017 and has since then been performed a significant number of times in both large and small contexts. Since word and song intertwine seamlessly, the program best suits smaller rooms where no microphone is needed.

This short movie includes a presentation of the program and its underlaying ideas:
https://lnu.se/mot-linneuniversitetet/aktuellt/nyheter/2019/karin-ger-konserter-i-klostermusik-for-att-na-fler-med-sin-forskning/

Simple Gifts –  Female Devotion in the late Middle Ages

The Swiss Ensemble Peregrina and Ensemble Gemma from Sweden breathe new life into the tradition of simple polyphony that arose from the Middle Ages onwards among women in monastic communities. Their repertoire, independent of trends but rich in inspiration, bears witness to the active musical life behind the walls that separated the nuns from the outside world. Although traces of it can be found all over Europe, the practice resonates most strongly in the Low Countries, where there was a long tradition of female devotion. For this programme, the musicians sought out the sounds of 15th-century manuscripts, probably used in a convent in Utrecht and at the convent of the Poor Clares in Brussels: silent witnesses to a forgotten slice of music history.

Maria! Maria! –  Chant from the Order of the Birgittines

Chant from the Birgittine sisters has been on the menu for many years for ensemble Gemma. This program exists in many variants and can be adjusted according to different wishes. Also reading from St. Birgitta’s revelations can be incorporated in the program.

Booking and information

To book or for more information about these programs, please use the contact form. In addition to the above program, customized concert programs, courses, workshops, and lectures can be arranged I am looking forward discussing your idea!