Female a capella quartet Anonymous 4 to perform at Herrick Chapel

Anonymous 4, a female a cappella quartet known for their performance of medieval music, will take center stage at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in Herrick Chapel at Grinnell College.

Anonymous 4 was started one afternoon in the spring of 1986 when Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Jaqueline Horner-Kwiatek got together for a music reading session. They wanted to hear what medieval chant and polyphony would sound like when sung by female voices; 27 years later, Anonymous 4 has performed for sold-out audiences in major concert series and at festivals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Anonymous 4's programs have included music from the year 1000; the ecstatic music and poetry of the 12th-century abbess and mystic Hildegard of Bingen; 13th- and 14th-century chant and polyphony from England, France, and Spain; medieval and modern carols from the British Isles; American folksongs, shape note tunes, and gospel songs; and works newly written for the group. The group has twice been voted one of Billboard's top classical artists and recently returned to the Billboard charts with the release of Secret Voices (2011), music from the 13th-century, Spanish Codex Las Huelgas.

Tickets are required for this free public performance and may be obtained at the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts box office, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 6, noon to 5 p.m. A limited number of tickets are also available beginning at noon, Feb. 6, at the Pioneer Bookshop in downtown Grinnell.

Herrick Chapel is located at 1128 Park St., with parking available along the street in front of the venue and in nearby parking lots. Grinnell welcomes the participation of people with disabilities. Information on parking and accessibility is available on the college website, here: http://www.grinnell.edu/app/wermap.html. Accommodation requests may be made to Conference Operations at 641-269-3235 or calendar@grinnell.edu.

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