
Music of the Cloisters
Goldie Chapel, Nano Nagle Place
Saturday 9th November, 2024, 5:30pm
Tickets: Pay what you feel
Madrigal ’75
Cork Baroque Players
Programme
Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704) – Sonata Op. 16 No. 12
Maddalena Lombardini (1745-1818) – Duetto Op. 5 No. 6
Giacomo Arrigoni (1597-1675) – ‘Magnificat’ from Op. 9
Claudia Francesca Rusca (1583-1676) – Canzona from Sacri Concerti
Isabella Leonarda – ‘Dixit Dominus’ from Op. 19
Cork’s beloved chamber choir Madrigal ‘75 come together with the Cork Baroque Players to bring a programme of music inspired by the Baroque cloisters, in the ideal setting of Nano Nagle Place. A concert that will transport you to the seventeenth century where a contingent of talented nun-composers followed their musical dreams inside cloistered walls, eschewing respectable marriage and outside life to create musical wonders, and fighting for their rights to do so.
Madrigal ‘75 and Cork Baroque Players will treat you to works from Isabella Leonarda, Claudia Francesca Rusca, and other gems of the period, with rarely-heard and beautiful settings of classic sacred and secular music.

Madrigal ’75 is a vocal ensemble based in Cork City and its repertoire ranges from early music to modern, both sacred and secular. Founded in 1975 by University students, the choir now comprises of a diverse combination of singers from Cork and further afield. Madrigal ’75 has developed a reputation as a vocal ensemble of great skill and beauty, performing repertoire from as early as the 14th century right through to contemporary choral works including first performances of new commissions.
The choir has performed with several of Ireland’s leading ensembles, including the RTE Vanbrugh String Quartet and the Orchestra of St Cecilia. In 2008 the choir presented the closing concert of the prestigious East Cork Early Music Festival.
Madrigal ’75 has enjoyed capacity houses at their recent concerts in the CIT Cork School of Music, where they regularly perform repertoire from the renaissance period, madrigals, baroque vocal music, sacred music and contemporary choral works. Madrigal ’75 is ensemble in residence at CIT Cork School of Music.
Since 2007, Madrigal ’75 has been directed by James Taylor, organist and harpsichordist, who, having held posts in the UK, New Zealand and Canada, now lectures at CIT Cork School of Music. Until 2017, James was also Assistant Director of Music at St. Finbarre’s Cathedral Cork. James has performed concerts across Canada and the United States, in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand, and he has participated in numerous television and radio broadcasts as a soloist and accompanist.
East Cork Early Music is grateful for the support of Cork City Council Arts Office.
This concert is presented in partnership with Nano Nagle Place and with the additional support Madrigal ’75 and MTU Cork School of Music