Internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Capella Romana will perform its most in-demand program, The Fall of Constantinople, which includes majestic Byzantine chants, Latin ceremonial motets, and two haunting laments commemorating the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 by Guillaume DuFay (c.1399–1474) and Manuel Chrysaphes (fl. 1440–1463), court musician to the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI.
The Fall of Constantinople, directed by Alexander Lingas, was first performed by Cappella Romana to captivated audiences in January 2002, just months after the September 11, 2001, attacks. It was later booked by early music festivals across North America and Europe, most recently the Utrecht Early Music Festival in the Netherlands.