Help support Consensus in 2026 - we plan to bring two programs of rarely-performed music of the Baroque-and-before period to the Hudson Valley, one in the Fall, and another in the Christmas season.  Our focus remains on the magic of small-ensemble choral music, where each and every detail is apparent, there's no hiding, every nuance is on display.  Details to be announced in the coming months!

We would love to be included in your year-end giving.

Consensus started in 2004, when 4 nerdy choral singers (Eric Brenner, Philip Cheah, Matthew Hensrud, and Zach Nelson) met at a Western Wind workshop and realized they had the odd ability to sing SATB, TTTB, Jazz, Classical, Early, Modern, and every other genre of music.  We had exactly one performance, made a recording, and were never heard from again — until today!  The resurrected Consensus aims to raise the bar for small-ensemble choral performance in the Hudson Valley, help us make that vision a reality.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, the lights, the snow, the seasonal beverages, family, and of course the music — all combine to create a feeling far larger than any of those components individually.  For many of us, music is the true gateway into the holidays — my mother still expects hymn singing from us kids, we shuffle our feet, slightly embarrassed but mom usually gets what mom wants.

The music of the medieval period covers a vast range of time, from the 6th, all the way to the 15th century - 900 years of world events.  It feels a little insane to consider the Viking conquests and the founding of the Holy Roman Empire, in the same paragraph as the creation of the printing press and Columbus sailing to America.  In the same way, the music of this period changes dramatically, with the church exerting huge influence over what was “acceptable”.  Indeed, this is when the very notion of “western” music is created.  Before this period, and the church’s outsize influence, music was not written down precisely (no notation yet existed), and was largely the work of improvisers — the major and minor scales that underpin western music now were only 2 of 8 commonly used scales, some of which you may hear this evening if you listen closely.

Tonight, we will give you a wide overview of the music of this time — from chant, to early carols sung by troubadours in the courts of royalty, to Guillaume de Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame, a significant piece, in that it is the earliest example we have of a through-composed mass. Prior to this work, masses were generally performed from collections of music by numerous composers. Here, Machaut elevated the form and (perhaps controversially) demonstrated how a single distinctive vision could draw the listener closer to God.  It is also a strangely modern piece, Machaut seamlessly combined newer 14th century techniques (called Ars Nova), with plainchant, the monophonic tradition that was even then centuries old.  Another fun juxtaposition in this program is the Busnois and Brumel settings of “Noel”. The Busnois is firmly planted in the medieval, while the Brumel has all the features of the early Renaissance.  I’ve programmed them back to back so you can compare.

Another fun addition is an excerpt from the Chantilly Codex, De Quan Qu'on Puet.  It is from a medieval french musical tradition called Ars subtilior.  Listen for fully independent parts that weave in and out of each other, and a ton of playful rhythm.  Also, wish us luck as it is quite difficult.


For the love of music,
- Matthew Hensrud, Director