This past fall, the University of Calgary’s Collegium Musicum staged a baroque opera – John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, with additional music by Henry Purcell. Join us as we present excerpts from this show in the beautiful acoustic of the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer. Accompanied by harpsichord and chamber organ, the music includes dramatic solos, duets and choral pieces telling the story of a tragic love between Goddess and mortal.  Directed by Julie Harris

Collegium Musicum is a University of Calgary ensemble in the School of Creative and Performing Arts.  Collegium is dedicated to exploring music from the baroque and earlier (pre-1750). Although primarily a vocal ensemble, there are also opportunities for keyboard players, string players and some wind players. Collegium offers students musical insight and performing experience and over the years has included a wide range of early music genres. 

Soprano Julie Harris (she/her) holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Calgary and an Artist Diploma from the University of Toronto. She also spent a year studying early music at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.  Julie has appeared with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Toronto Consort, Opera Atelier, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Alberta Baroque (Edmonton) and La Cetra (Vancouver). Upon returning to Calgary in 1999, she founded the Early Music Voices Concert Series.  Julie teaches voice at the University of Calgary and directs the Collegium Musicum.  She also teaches at Mount Royal University, maintains a private voice studio, and enjoys coaching various local community choirs and high schools.

This concert is the third in a Series of many Choral Concerts during 2024 that is generously sponsored by: