Sequentia Ensemble “Gregorius, the Holy Sinner” Concert

The incomparable Benjamin Bagby, well-known for his virtuosic rendering of Beowulf, returns to the EMSI stage to lead the ensemble Sequentia in an astonishing 12th Century tale of one man’s victory over despair (sung in medieval German verse with video titles projected in English).

This ancient tale by Hartmann von Aue (d. ca. 1210), tells of how a man tossed about by fortune and unaware of his incestuous origins, finally finds his own life, returning from near death to become a great holy man.

This story was probably transmitted orally: sung, spoken, and accompanied, for courtly gatherings of passionate listeners who, like us, could never get enough of good storytelling.

This ancient tale reaches far into the past — we feel the presence of Oedipus in its darkest moments. At its most inspiring, it is a tale of limitless possibility and inextinguishable hope, the triumph of belief over despair, a story which captivated those binge-listening courtly audiences in the late 12th century.

Benjamin Bagby, Jasmina Črnčič and Lukas Papenfusscline: voices and Romanesque harps.