Music from English Court Masques with Collectio Musicorum

Dr. Jeff S. Dailey, a longtime friend of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, has been displaying his collection of Himalayan musical objects at the Museum since 2021. In April of 2024, part of his collection will be switched with some new objects never before seen by the public.

Now retired as a college professor and administrator, Dr. Dailey devotes his time to research into the musical cultures of the Himalayas. After graduating from Wagner College, he went on to earn his PhD from New York University. He serves as president of the American Musicological Society's Greater New York Chapter.

In addition to viewing instruments from Dr. Dailey's collection, all of which are interesting from both musicological, historical, and artistic perspectives, Collectio Musicorum, the non-profit organization from Dr. Dailey, will present Music from English Court Masques at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art on Friday, April 12, 2024.

The concert will begin at 8 pm and will be followed by a reception. Admission is $15.00.

The English Court Masque was the most extravagant theatrical event of its time, evolving during the 16th century and reaching its climax in productions at the court of King James I and his successors in the 17th century. These theatrical extravaganzas featured both professional and amateur performers, combining florid poetry and music with sumptuous scenery and costumes.

Collectio Musicorum, under the direction of Dr. Dailey, will perform highlights from four 17th-century masques—Lord Hay’s Masque, The Masque of Beauty, The Masque of Queens, and The Masque of Oberon. The concert will be performed by Dr. Dailey, assisted by tenor Alex Longnecker, gambist Patricia Ann Neely, and lutenist Christopher Morrongiello.

The Jacques Marchais Museum provides a suitably exotic setting for this music. Constructed in 1947 to imitate a Himalayan temple, it will be illuminated by candlelight to evoke the luxurious surroundings of the Stuart court.