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The name Kairos comes from the Greek word for cyclic time, as opposed to chronos, or linear time. It denotes the state of mind we hope to achieve in our music, a time-out-of-time in which past and future merge with the present in the listener's experience.
Kairos: A Consort of Singers was formed in 1994 by Brother Randall Horton, a member of the Holy Cross Episcopal Monastery in West Park, New York. The group originally focused on medieval and Renaissance repertoire, interspersing Gregorian chant with movements of masses by Palestrina, Josquin, Byrd, and other 16th and 17th century composers. The group quickly established a loyal following and performed several times a year.
In 1996 the group was reorganized under its present Artistic Director, Dr. Edward Lundergan. He brought a new focus to Kairos, and the group has blossomed and matured under his direction. Repertoire such as Benjamin Britten's Hymn to St. Cecilia and Five Flower Songs, Francis Poulenc's Un Soir de Neige, contemporary British composer Tarik O'Regan's The Ecstasies Above, and J.S. Bach's Singet dem Herrn (BWV 225) are just some of the demanding and complex works that the group regularly performs. The group performs at various venues in the Hudson Valley, and has also performed with instrumental groups such as the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Bach Festival orchestra, and members of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Quartet. In 2005 Kairos became artists-in-residence at Holy Cross Monastery and performs concerts in the wonderful Chapel throughout the year.
In the spring of 2006 Kairos expanded its mission and repertoire by creating a Bach Cantata Series, with performances of four cantatas in 2006 and six cantatas in 2007 and 2008. Community response to the Bach Cantata Series has been overwhelming, and Kairos again plans to present six cantatas in the series' fourth year, culminating with performances of J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243) and George Frideric Handel's Dixit Dominus in January 2010. |
