“When plague arrived in Venice in the summer of 1575, one of the most mobile and dynamic cities in Europe ground to a halt. Carnevale was cancelled; preaching and church services were stopped; shops, inns and taverns were closed; charlatans and mountebanks could no longer gather an audience in the streets. In an effort to quarantine the worst affected area, the city was blocked off at the Rialto bridge and half of the population isolated in their homes.” - Rosa Salzberg

In These Distracted Tymes, String Theory Music Collective performs 17th and 18th Century baroque music from Italy, Germany and England. Our current pandemic experience has its historical parallels. The voices of composers whose lives were impacted during these times find their way to us through their music. "Venetian School" composers such as Biagio Marini emerged after the plague of 1575, and composers such as Legrenzi and Uccellini would have endured the Great Plague of Milan in 1629 during their lifetime. As we collectively shift our thoughts to the things that endure and sustain us, we remember that music can be a place of healing and rest in challenging times. We invite you to set aside the distractions of our time for an afternoon of live music performed on baroque instruments. Music is an essential service...for the soul! We hope you will join us on October 31st.