2026–27 Concert Season
This season Rose City Renaissance Singers embark on two new Renaissance Evensongs at the Parish of St. Mark, a Valentine's evening of French chansons over wine, and a spring tour of Italian and English madrigals.
Paul Klee, Fugue in Red, 1921
Renaissance Evensong
A New Series at St. Mark
The Parish of St. Mark, 1025 NW 21st, Portland
Rose City Renaissance curates the new Renaissance Evensong Series at the beautiful Parish of St. Mark. Held near twilight and combining the ancient monastic hours of vespers and compline, Evensong is meant to convey a contemplative and peaceful meditation at the end of the day. The series unfolds across the year in the hands of several of Portland's early music ensembles, with RCRS singing two of the four.
Evensong I — Sunday, September 20, 2026 · 5:00pm
Thomas Tallis: the sober and grand sound of the Short Dorian Service, and the O sacrum convivium of 1575.
Free to attend. Registration helps us plan seating and keeps you posted on the series.
Evensong II — Sunday, November 15, 2026 · 5:00pm
Robert Parsons, whose Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis is a soaring tour de force for a relatively small number of singers.
Free to attend. Registration helps us plan seating and keeps you posted on the series.
Félix Vallotton, Five O'Clock (Cinq heures), from Intimités, 1898
Chanson d'Amour
A Valentine's Pre-Dinner Show
The Art of Courtly Love
Sunday, February 14, 2027 · 5 pm · Tickets: $75
Ora et Labora Wine Shop, 3928 N Williams Ave, Portland
Join us for our first ever collaboration with the wonderful wine shop (and appropriately named) Ora et Labora on Williams in North Portland. In an attempt to break out of the box that most performed polyphony finds itself in, we will be serving small plates and French wine paired with some of the most wildly beautiful secular works of the era including: Josquin's Mille Regretz, Cornysh's Ah, Robin and the deeply moving and hypnotic motet of Nicolas Gombert — Je Prens Congie. In contrast we will also perform works expressing the lighter side of love such as Il est Bel et Bon by Passereau, Bonjour Mon Cœur by the master Orlando de Lassus and a few more. Come by and fall in love with the music, the wine … or us.
Egon Schiele, Stylized Flowers before a Decorative Background, 1908
Amaryllis
Monteverdi, Marenzio, de Rore, Wilbye, Gibbons
The Madrigal from Italy to England
Friday, May 7, 2027 · 7:00pm · Tickets: $35.00
The Lantern PDX, 2828 SE Stephens Street, Portland
Saturday, May 8 — East County Library, Gresham
Sunday, May 9 — Tualatin Public Library
For our spring concert we will be embarking on an exploration of the madrigal — the Italian origins through to the second wave in England. Join us at a very special location in southeast Portland: The Lantern. This gorgeous mid-century church has been recently reworked as a community grief center, and we are honored and delighted to be the first early music ensemble to ever perform here. Come experience the hauntingly beautiful works of Cipriano de Rore — O Sonno and Mia Benigna Fortuna — as well as madrigals by Marenzio, Cruda Amarilli by Monteverdi, and works by Arcadelt, Wilbye and Gibbons. Only Portland could hold an event this classy in a space this beautiful … come and close your eyes and experience what this music can evoke.