On June 1st, vocal ensemble Demestvo (Princeton University, USA) will present “Lost Polyphonies”: a program showcasing the earliest traditions of vocal polyphony from Europe, performed alongside contemporary compositions that engage with these chant traditions. The concert will feature music from Byzantium, Georgia, Spain, France, England, Ukraine, and Russia, including newly transcribed chants that have not been heard for over 300 years. Alongside these pieces, Demestvo will perform new works by Princeton graduate composers Lucy McKnight and Caroline Shaw.

Named after a Slavic polyphonic chant tradition, Demestvo is a vocal quartet founded by musicology PhD student and soprano Anastasia Shmytova. Conceived as part of her dissertation research on medieval Slavic chant and early polyphony, Demestvo is committed to bringing the unique sound world of this unheard music to contemporary audiences.

The concert will feature members of the local Ursa Major Choir.