Founded by composer Paul Hindemith, the Yale Collegium Musicum was among the first ensembles in this country dedicated to the performance of music from the 12th through the 18th centuries. Hindemith, an early champion of historical music, led the group in twelve performances from 1943 through 1953, conducting an array of singers and instrumentalists made up of his own students and musicians from the community. The popularity of the Collegium and its performances during this period was attested to in a student survey: “The Collegium Musicum is apparently regarded as the most outstanding musical experience … at the University.”
This tradition of student and community involvement in innovative performances of early music has carried on through the years under several directors. In 2002 Collegium director Richard Lalli initiated a collaboration with the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Since then most Collegium concerts have been held at the Beinecke and highlight the library’s rich holdings of historical music and literature. Professor Lalli also created a class entitled The Performance and Analysis of Early Music. Students enrolled in the course form the nucleus of the Collegium, researching the historical context of early musical repertories. Now led by early music specialist and faculty member Grant Herreid, the ensemble continues its historic tradition in performances featuring voices, viols and other early strings, lutes, keyboards, and historical winds.