Trefoil is a trio of modern minstrels long active in early music. Tagged by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a hearty trio of Medieval music specialists” practicing “an intricate, enigmatic vocal art,” Trefoil toured widely since its debut in 2000.

Drew Minter, countertenor, harp, and percussion, is well-known to early music audiences, and has appeared in leading roles with the opera companies of Brussels, Toulouse, Boston, Washington, Santa Fe, BAM, Wolf Trap, Glimmerglass, Nice, and Marseille, among others. A highly regarded specialist in the works of Handel, he has appeared in leading roles at the Halle, Karlsruhe, Maryland and Goettingen Handel festivals. He teaches voice, chorus and opera at Vassar College.

Mark Rimple, countertenor, lute, and psaltery, has won international praise for his lute playing and singing. He has appeared with the Newberry and Folger Consorts, Ex Umbris, Piffaro, the New York Collegium, and New York’s Ensemble for Early Music. An accomplished composer, Rimple holds a DMA from Temple University. He is professor of music theory and composition at West Chester University, where he also directs the Collegium Musicum.

Marcia Young, soprano and historical harper, has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters, the Yale Center for British Art, the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments, the CityMusic series in Columbus, the Ars Antiqua series in Chappaqua NY; the HotShops gallery space in Omaha; and the Lute Society of America Conference and Seminar in Cleveland. She serves as Director of Performance Studies for the music department of Stern College, Yeshiva University.

Trefoil's website

PROGRAM

Drew Minter, countertenor, harp, and percussion; Mark Rimple, countertenor, lute, and psaltery; Marcia Young, soprano and harps

Gabriel’s Announcement:
Da ciel venne messo novello Florentine Laudario
Gloria in excelsis Deo Matteo da Perugia (d. ca. 1418)

Prayer to the Virgin:
Ortorum virentium/Virga yesse/Victimae paschali laudes Florentine Laudario
Aquila Altera (Intabulation) (Faenza codex)

The Angels sing:
Sanctus Gratiosus de Padua

Praising the Virgin:
Sovrana si né sembianti Florentine Laudario
Ave stella matutina
Regina pretiosa
Ave Maris Stella (Intabulation) (Faenza codex)

The Birth:
Puer natus in Bethlehem Anonymous, Modena Bib. Estense, (M. 5, 24)
A Dance around the Virgin: Co la Madre del beato Florentine Laudario

Christ’s Descending Glory:
Da tucta gente laudato Florentine Laudario

Christ’s Purpose:
Christo e nato Florentine Laudario

The Magi’s journey:
Stella nova Florentine Laudario
Nova stella apparita

Heaven and Earth rejoice:
Gloria Johannes Ciconia (c. 1335–1411)