Elysium is a vocal ensemble dedicated to expanding the boundaries of early music. The singers explore the intersection of early music with folk traditions and experiment with alternative forms of presentation.
The four American women first crossed paths in Europe through their work with the medieval vocal ensemble Sequentia. Their first project was the recording of Auvergne Chants (Decca Records), innovative contemporary arrangements of traditional French folk melodies. Elysium then turned its focus towards home, developing a program of American music, ranging from early shape note songs to the folk ballads of the Appalachian mountains. Since then, the singers have returned to the medieval music which brought them together. With their program entitled Piety and Passion they explore women's music in medieval Italy.
