Can you dig it? SoHIP's summer series offers rich Renaissance chamber music

What's so hip about listening to fine musicians play rare Renaissance instruments like the cornetto, dulcimer and the trombone's comically named predecessor, the sackbut?

Well...SoHIP. That is the Society for Historically Informed Performance.

For the 23rd season, the nonprofit arts group is offering a rich sampling of Renaissance and Baroque music at three locations in its summer early music concert series.

For the next six weeks, a different ensemble will perform chamber music Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings in Weston, Andover and Boston, respectively. The series runs through Aug. 6.

The series kicked off Tuesday at St. Peter's Church in Weston where the eight vocalists of Zefiro sang "Sacred Music from Renaissance Spain and England." On Wednesday, they performed the program, which includes sacred texts from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and Spanish compositions, at The Chapel at West Parish in Andover. And tonight, Zefiro will sing the same program at Lindsey Chapel, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St., Boston.

SoHIP President Richard Maloney said the series offers "varied programs of Renaissance, baroque and sometimes medieval music from different parts of the world."

"I think this music brings a real kind of intimacy audiences don't always hear today," said the Natick resident.

A former rock musician who's now an accomplished lutenist, Maloney said the six groups play music "that doesn't hit you over the head."

"For the most part, we're focused primarily on music of the past as it was written then. It can be powerful but not aggressively powerful," he said.

Rather than follow a conductor's cue, Maloney said chamber musicians "look to each other" and often improvise to give a piece their own interpretations.

"There's a lot of communication like in a rock concert. It can result in an exciting and really vibrant performance," he said.

Deborah Stone, SoHIP's communication director, said the groups were chosen after auditioning before a special jury.

She explained, laughing, when the group chose its name 23 years ago they settled on an acronym that, when spoken, sounded like "so hip."

The series focuses on chamber music created from the 15th to 18th centuries "for smaller, intimate venues before the concert halls got bigger," said Stone. "The series provides a great opportunity for these groups to show what they can do. And its a great opportunity for people who might not want to travel too far to hear high-quality music," she said.

Maloney stressed people don't need a special familiarity with Renaissance music to enjoy the summer concerts. "The groups are smaller than an orchestra. There won't be 100 people on stage or a chorus that might make you feel overwhelmed. There's usually between four and eight musicians or singers and you'll get a real sense of what everyone's doing," said Maloney, the assistant director of the Arts Administration Department at Boston University. "Each performance runs from 60 to 75 minutes. There's no single hour-long pieces. They're shorter, easier to grasp."

For Maloney, the use of "period instruments provides a little more in terms of color, clarity and delicacy." "When these instruments are played, there's a real crystal quality that not a lot of other music has these days," he said.

While instruments like the cornetto, sackbut and shawn, the predecessor of the oboe, are little known to contemporary listeners, he predicted audience members would respond emotionally to their subtle music.

"A lot of these instruments might have funny names," said Maloney, "but people will recognize the feelings they produce."

THE ESSENTIALS:

Tickets for SoHIP concerts are $20 at the door, $15 for seniors and students. All concerts begin at 8 p.m.

Scheduled concerts will be performed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the following locations:

Tuesday: at St. Peter's Church, 320 Post Road, Weston.

Wednesday: at The Chapel at West Parish, 129 Reservation Road, Andover

Thursday: at Lindsey Chapel, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury St., Boston.

The performance schedule is as follows:

• July 2: Zefiro will perform "Sacred Music from Renaissance Spain and England."
• July 7, 8 and 9: Amphion's Lyre will perform "Say it Ain't So."
• July 14, 15 and 16: Duo L'Inconnue will perform "Cosmopolitan Baroque."
• July 21, 22 and 23: Musica Nuova will perform "Blackberry Jam: Modern Romance in 17th Century Style."
• July 28, 29 and 30: 7 Hills Renaissance Wind Band will perform "Musicians of the Golden 16th Century: German Wind Music from the Hapsburg Courts."
• Aug. 4, 5 and 6: Ensemble Trinitas directed by Tom Zajac will perform "Celebrations and Sacred Music: The Bishop of Trujilo's Journey Along the Peruvian Coast."

To learn more about the Society for Historically Informed Performance or order tickets, call 508-212-6038 or visit www.sohipboston.com.