Tessitura

Tessitura

Tessitura is a chamber choir which explores music of the Baroque and modern eras. Its repertoire ranges from Monteverdi madrigals to Bach cantatas; from motets of Schütz to works by contemporary composers. The 2025-2026 season featured Book Six of Monteverdi’s Madrigals, Poulenc’s Four Motets in a Time of Penitence, Paul Mealor’s “She Walks in Beauty,” the Kyrie from Fenno Heath’s Mass, and Eric Whitacre’s “Sleep.”

“Tessitura” is the most resonant part of one’s vocal range; the term is also the Italian word for weaving—and thus by extension suggests the interplay among disparate threads to effect modulations of texture. Under the direction of Mark Nelson, this ensemble illuminates the shifting colors and textures suffusing old and new music.

Music Director, Dr. Mark Nelson
Based in Hanover, New Hampshire, Dr. Mark Nelson serves as Music Director of several instrumental and choral ensembles, including the Upper Valley Symphony Orchestra, the a cappella community chorus Harmony Night, and the orchestra at Hanover High School. He also leads the Bach Study Group, which meets weekly to rehearse and analyze the major choral works of J. S. Bach. With degrees in music theory and composition from Yale, Illinois, and Princeton, and over 20 years’ experience teaching at liberal-arts colleges and secondary schools, he is deeply committed to helping enthusiasts of diverse backgrounds savor the joys of musical discovery.