No doubt about it, the Christmas season is beset with a variety of associations: the stress or excitement of final exams, gift shopping, travel planning, holiday entertaining, family get-togethers, and that sense of mild trepidation as we slide toward the darkest days of the year. All the better that this weekend Rochester's a capella vocal ensemble Musica Spei will present "Noel, Noel: A Renaissance Christmas," a musical reminder that whatever else Christmas may be, it is first and foremost a season of hope.

"Musica Spei" means, literally, "the music of hope." The name was suggested by Tom Grande, who co-founded the ensemble with original music director Steve Marcus, who is described by tenor Eric Lobenstine as "our resident muse." Musica Spei is based at St. Anne Church on Mt. Hope Avenue, so in one sense the name is a bit of a pun. "But," says Lobenstine, "the singers also wanted the name to communicate something that was non-denominational, not suggestive of a specific religious orientation. Even though our repertoire focuses on sacred music, hope is a universal experience."

Although only one is a professional musician, the members of Musica Spei are united in their devotion to promoting Renaissance musical style. "We have all been passionate about this repertoire since we were young," says bass Joe Finetti, a family physician. There are two more doctors in the ensemble, as well as a medical market research consultant, two systems administrators, a professor of economics, a former farrier and VP of a software development company turned spiritual director, a Kodak researcher, a restaurant manager and poultry farmer, an artist, a retired financial analyst, and a paralegal.

But these people can sing. Each member is required to pass a rigorous audition process, and all are seasoned performers. The eclectic mix of "day gigs" stands as proof that the complexity of Renaissance polyphony can have a wide aesthetic appeal, and concert-goers unfamiliar with such music can trust Musica Spei to guide them to its depths of beauty and meaning. Even the ensemble's unusual "horseshoe" performance configuration offers a clue to the magic of polyphony, each line of which is a self-contained melody. Since the group performs without a conductor, Musica Spei's semi-circular configuration facilitates the eye contact and body language necessary to pass imitative phrases around the group, weaving the individual lines into a coherent, harmonious whole.

The singers of Musica Speiunderstand the transformative power of their repertoire, and have a desire to share it with audiences. "I get so jazzed before every rehearsal," Lobenstine says. And his wife, who also sings with the group, "often comes in to rehearsal tired, but leaves feeling renewed."

This year's Christmas concert offers music from Renaissance Europe and the New World, all of which celebrates the hopeful spirit of the season. Three rarely heard works by Jean Mouton (d. 1522), Hernando Franco (d. 1585), and Loyset Compere (d. 1518) are featured on the program. 

Although one of the greatest Renaissance composers, good editions of Mouton's works are nonetheless scarce and his music is notoriously underperformed. For this concert, Musica Spei's long-time consultant and supporter, Eastman School of Music professor Patrick Macey, has prepared an edition of Mouton's "Missus est Gabriel." The work sets a Gospel text telling the story of the Annunciation, using duet and trio sections to punctuate the homogenous texture of Mouton's full ensemble sound. Buried within the polyphony, the alto part carries a clue to the significance of the Annunciation theme - a version of the Gregorian chant vera fides, which celebrates the purity of the Virgin.

Spanish composer Hernando Franco traveled to the New World and spent much of his career in Mexico City. His "Magnificat Quarti Toni" is a musical meditation on Mary's response to the Annunciation. A text both joyful and humble, Franco's setting offers the ear a wealth of colors and textures. Chant alternates with four-voice polyphony throughout, culminating in the addition of two more voices in canon during the final movement.

Compere's "Hodie nobis de Virgine (Missa In Nativitate)" sets the familiar story of the Nativity in the relatively rare musical form known as the "substitute mass," popular during the 1470s in Milan. In Compere's "Hodie nobis," texts relating to the Nativity are substituted for the standard mass texts. Phrases marked by intricate imitation among the voices lead up to concluding sections in a lighter and more lilting triple meter, musically summarizing the solemnity, the joy, and the hope of the Nativity.

Two hymns by William Byrd (d. 1623), "Salve sancta parens" and "O magnum mysterium," and Luca Marenzio's (d. 1599) ebullient "Hodie christus natus est" round out the program, along with Francesco de Layolle's (d. 1540) bell-like "Noe, noe noe."

Musica Spei

Friday, December 14, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 14 State St, Brockport | Saturday, December 15, at St. Anne Church, 1600 Mt. Hope Ave.

8 p.m. | $5 (suggested) | 442-4618, musicaspei.org.