Calextone, a new East-Bay ensemble, performs the music of 14th and 15th century France, including works by Machaut, Solage, Binchois, and Busnois. Guillaume de Machaut was the most important composer and poet of the 14th century in France, leaving behind several beautifully-bound manuscripts of his works. Solage represents the Ars Subtilior or the "subtle art", a style developed by the generation after Machaut, in which complicated rhythms and harmonies take precedence over all else. The next generation, including Binchois and Busnois, turn to beautiful melody-driven chansons that combine the sweet thirds and sixths of English music with the intricate counterpoint of the French tradition.
Calextone, whose members have performed around the world and across the United States, is comprised of Allison Zelles Lloyd, voice and harp; Shira Kammen, vielle and harp; Frances Blaker, hammered dulcimer and recorders; and Letitia Berlin, recorders and douçaine.
