About Convivium

Founded and run by its singers, Convivium Musicum has been dedicated to concerts of uplifting beauty since 1987. Praised by a listener: “It was an enchanting experience — I am instantly calmed when you sing,” Convivium is well-known for performances of Renaissance choral music that shimmer with precision, fine intonation, rhythmic accuracy, and lively attention to text. Over the past two decades we have offered rarely- heard gems alongside stirring masterworks. As we enter our fourth season with Music Director Michael Barrett, our programs continue to be informed by careful research and scholarship, and our performances devoted to bringing to life the complex and profound emotional texture of this repertoire. Early Music America has acclaimed our performance as “the kind of transforming experience that concert junkies are always seeking.” This is what Convivium strives for in every concert program.

Over the past two decades our programs have ranged from the earliest polyphony to the 1991 world premiere of Richard St. Clair’s Missa Syllabica.  Convivium's adventurous programming ranges from Josquin and Mouton to Sweelinck and Le Jeune, from Peñalosa to Victoria, from the Song of Songs to Dido's lament, and from Europe to New Spain, including masterworks by Byrd, Guerrero, Praetorius, and many other lesser-known composers. We have brought this music to concert series, benefits and special events such as First Night Boston and the Boston Early Music Festival.

See our reviews in The Boston Musical Intelligencer:

Josquin's Playlist (January 2011) : Summoning Serenity from Convivium Musicum, by David Patterson

Brahms and Early Music (January 2013) : Brahms the Antiquarian, by Christopher Marinuzzi

Convivium is proud to be a corporation run by its singers, who serve on the Board of Directors, manage the group's business affairs, design its programs and publicity materials, and seek out opportunities to perform Renaissance polyphony for new audiences.

The group traces its origins to the Longy Chorus for Early Music, founded in 1982 by Andrew Waldo. The Chorus separated from the Longy School in 1987 and embarked upon an independent existence. Working with many conductors, including some drawn from its own ranks, the group performed throughout the Boston area under the name Ars Canticorum. In 1990 the choir became a non-profit corporation and adopted its current name. Since 1990, we have had the opportunity to work with several of Boston’s most talented conductors, including David Hodgkins, David Tiedman, Scott Metcalfe, and effective Summer 2007, Michael Barrett.

Convivium Musicum released two CD's under Scott Metcalfe's direction: Song of Songs:  Music of Renaissance Spain and the New World , a CD with pieces based on texts from the Song of Songs, and Dido's Lament and other music by Franco-Flemish Composers, c. 1500-1600.  A third CD featuring the music of Lassus with director Michael Barrett is being recorded in 2013.  Please visit our Recordings page for more details.

Contact Us for more information.

Visit our archives to see repertoire and programs from past seasons.

Convivium Musicum is incorporated in Massachusetts as a non-profit with 501(c)(3) status. Our By-laws.

Information for Singers