Capella de la Torre: "Love’s Secret" – Music from the Time of Queen Elizabeth I

Women have not only often served as rulers, mothers, muses, and patrons, but have also been politically, artistically, or creatively active in their own right. In doing so, women faced significantly greater obstacles, as evidenced not least by the fact that we know very little—or even nothing at all—about many of them. Even a position of privilege by birth was no guarantee of adequate recognition and appreciation for their own achievements. 

The Art of Female Power focuses, on the one hand, on women who, through their elevated status, had the opportunity to make their own mark, or who became the subject of artistic depiction due to special qualities such as beauty or intelligence. The achievements of all these women will be examined particularly against the backdrop of the specific obstacles they faced.

 "Love's Secret" explores the music surrounding Queen Elizabeth I, also known as The Virgin Queen, who was born in 1533 as the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. From 1558 until her death in 1603, she reigned as Queen of England and Ireland. Her 45-year reign went down in history as the Elizabethan era—a golden age of art, literature, and science.

Poets such as William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson shaped the literature of the era, while composers such as John Dowland, Thomas Ravenscroft, and Anthony Holborne shaped the sound of the time. Scientifically and politically, too, the era was marked by new beginnings: Francis Bacon developed new foundations of scientific thought, and the navigator Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe. It was also during this time that the first English colony in North America was established, named Virginia in honor of the queen.

The epithet “Virgin Queen” became a central element of Elizabeth’s political image. She ruled without a husband and turned her status into a symbol of independence and power. To this day, scholars continue to explore what lies behind this myth.

Program:
Music from the English court and folk music of the 16th century. Compositions by John Dowland on the occasion of his 400th anniversary, Thomas Ravenscroft, Anthony Holborne, William Byrd, and other composers.

Performers:
Margaret Hunter, soprano;
Capella de la Torre;
Katharina Bäuml, shawm and conductor

Tickets:
€25, reduced €15 online via Eventim or at the box office. Unreserved seating.
(Tickets available at all advance sales locations in the Eventim network / Order hotline: +49 (0) 1806-570070 (€0.20/call incl. VAT from landlines, max. €0.60/call incl. VAT from mobile networks) available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Further information on ticket prices can be found here: Service/Tickets

Additional dates for the concert series

June 28, 2026 - #3 Erzsébet Báthory September
20, 2026 - #4 Maria

Organizer:
Capella de la Torre in cooperation with Kultur Büro Elisabeth

Sponsorship:
The series THE POWER OF FEMALE ART – THE FEMALE ART OF POWER is sponsored by the German Class Lottery Foundation Berlin

Photo © Anna-Kristina Bauer