The Nashville Early Music Ensemble is designed to perform the vocal and instrumental music of the Medieval and Renaissance periods as well as folk music from several world cultures. The twenty-seven member ensemble features musicians with diverse musical backgrounds but all with experience in early music. Instruments used by the ensemble include viols, lutes, guitars, ud, psaltery, harp, violin, recorders, sackbut, and a wide variety of percussion. The singers perform in original languages. The ensemble director is Dr. Gerald Moore, a retired music professor from Lipscomb University, who taught music theory and directed the university Early Music Consort for over twenty-five years.

The Nashville Early Music Ensemble is grateful for the continuing support and sponsorship of the Department of Music of Lipscomb University.

Upcoming events:

The NEME is scheduled to perform at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2009. The ensemble will feature traditional Medieval and Renaissance music in Music From the Court and Chapel Before 1600.

This performance will be a part of the activities connected with the "Medieval Treasures from the Cleveland Museum of Art" hosted by the Frist Center. For information on directions to and parking at the Frist center, visit this page on their website.

The NEME and the Nashville International Folk Dancers are scheduled to present a joint performance of The Old Song and Dance at the Looby Theatre in the Nashville Metro Center on Tuesday, March 10, at 8:00 p.m. The NIFD is a dance troupe which researches and performs traditional world dances especially those of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Russia. The web site for the NIFD is http://www.nifddance.com/.

The NEME will also be performing secular music and dance songs from several world cultures.

Photos and videos from the 2008 Christmas Concerts

The Nashville Early Music Ensemble began its second season with three performances of A Universal Christmas, which featured Renaissance and Medieval music as well as traditional folk music from more than ten different world cultures.

WPLN radio's "Live From Studio C"

On Tuesday, November 25, at 11:06 a.m., the ensemble was featured on "Live from Studio C" on WPLN radio, 90.3 FM and 1430 AM. The performance was rebroadcast at 8:06 p.m. that evening. The web address for the the station is wpln.org. This performance in also featured on the "Live from Studio C" webpage.

These photos courtesy of Ken Mastri, WPLN webmaster:

Christ Church Cathedral

At 8:00 p.m. on the same day, November 25, the ensemble presented its full concert at Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway, downtown Nashville. The web address for the cathedral is http://www.christcathedral.org/.

Videos for the entire concert
Click on the song title to view the video

Prophesy & Advent

1. Sponsus - Provençal, Miracle Play, 11tc C.
2. O magnum mysterium - Ludovico da Vittoria (1540-1608)
3. Ayios Vasilis - Traditional Greek Carol

Angels, Shepherds, Kings & Star

4. Noi siamo I magi - Istrian Folk Song (Yugoslavia), 19th C.
5. Wexford Carol - Anglo-Irish, dating from 12th C.
6. Boza Zvezda - Bulgarian, Macedonian Hymn
7. Rubene, Rubene - Egyptian Coptic Hymn
8. While shepherds watched - Traditional Text, Bellman's Carol Melody, 1871

Mary & Joseph

9. Ave maris stella - Ancient Plainsong, setting by John Dunstable (1370-1435)
10. Fum, Fum, Fum - Traditional Catalan Carol
11. Ma grun war 'n gelynen - Traditional Cornish Carol
12. Ya Maryam el bekr - Traditional Lebanese Carol
13. Sweet was the song - Anon., English Consort Song (ca. 1590)

The Child

14. Lully, lulla (Coventry Carol) - Anon., English Carol, 16th C.
15. Gaudete - Czech Carol, 14th C.
16. Baloo, Lammy - Scottish Carol, 17th C.
17. Riu, riu, chiu - Anon., Spanish Villancio, 1556

Joy & Celebration

18. Christmas Eve - Irish Dance Tune
& Christmas Day Ida Moarnin - Shetlands Islands Jig
19. Ashir shirim - Ancient Israeli Song of Celebration
20. In dulci jubilo - Michael Praetorius (1549-1611)

Concert program



First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, TN

At 3:00 on Sunday afternoon, December 7, the NEME will present the same concert at the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, TN, 801 South High Street. The web address for the church is 1stprescolumbia.org/. The program from this concert will be uploaded soon.