The Hilliard Ensemble, a British male vocal quartet, enjoyed an exceptional reputation for its interpretations of both early and contemporary music. Their repertoire reflected a remarkable musical versatility. At the heart of their program was a commissioned work by the British composer Roger Marsh: 'Il Cor Tristo', which sets texts from Dante's Inferno to music and skillfully blends Renaissance elements with contemporary musical language. This composition was framed by madrigals from the Renaissance masters Bernardo Pisano (1490-1548) and Jacques Arcadelt (c. 1507-1568). Characteristic of the ensemble, founded in 1974 and named after the Elizabethan miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard, was the effortless fusion of historical and modern musical styles...
