Grass Valley, CA — On Sunday, September 13, vocal music enters a bold new era as California’s newest professional chamber ensemble, Aeternum Choir, travels to Nevada County for a spectacular performance presented by InConcert Sierra.

Aeternum is 21-member mixed voice ensemble bringing together an elite roster of singers from some of the most celebrated vocal ensembles from around the world, including VOCES8, Tenebrae, The Tallis Scholars and Chanticleer.

“We wanted to build something completely distinct from a traditional regional choir,” says Aeternum Executive Director Brady Egbert. “By gathering the finest voices from groups like VOCES8 and Chanticleer and bringing them together for intensive concert periods, we are creating a world-class cultural experience. It is a level of vocal chamber precision rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic.”

Beginning their third season, Aeternum’s program entitled Origins is centered on the enduring tradition of choral music and the ways composers continue to reinterpret the sounds of the past. Spanning centuries of sacred music, Origins pairs Renaissance masters including Byrd, Palestrina, Hildegard von Bingen, and Allegri with contemporary composers such as James MacMillan, Roxanna Panufnik, Nico Muhly, and Kerensa Briggs. The program explores musical inheritance—how ancient melodies, texts, and traditions inspire entirely new works, connecting composers across centuries.

InConcert Sierra was introduced to Aeternum’s Artistic Director Bailey Cooke by one of Aeternum’s singers, MaryRuth Miller, who spoke highly of InConcert Sierra after she performed with VOCES8 on the InConcert series in December 2024.

“Bailey invited me, and I got to bring Executive Director Julie Hardin and my assistant Micah Cone to their concert called Centuries of Sound, a candlelit choral journey through nine centuries of music. We were absolutely entranced. The voices were unbelievably luminous, blended to perfection, and deeply moving. What an experience! I knew that I had to present them on our season,” said Ken Hardin, artistic director of InConcert Sierra.

Because many of Aeternum’s vocalists have demanding performance and recording schedules, the ensemble members change from time to time. Bailey noted that our September 13 performance will truly represent an ensemble that includes the very best choral artists from the UK and US and will be among Aeternum’s finest to date.

“What a sensational special performance to kick off InConcert Sierra’s 80th anniversary milestone season. More to come on that soon,” said Hardin.

The performance will take place at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grass Valley at 2pm with a pre-concert talk at 1:15pm.

Since 1946, InConcert Sierra has brought world-class classical music to the Sierra Nevada, including educational programs, outreach and collaborations that inspire a passion for classical music. InConcert Sierra is currently building Crown Point Venues featuring a state-of-the-art acoustic concert hall, conference center and black box theater, to further enhance the arts and culture of the region.

WHAT: Aeternum – Vocal Ensemble
WHEN: Sunday, September 13, 2026 – 2pm / 1:15pm pre-concert talk
WHERE: 12889 Osborne Hill Road, Grass Valley (GV Seventh-day Adventist Church)
TICKETS: $50 general admission, $5 youth 18 and under 
Phone: 530-273-3990; online: https://www.simpletix.com/e/aeternum-tickets-267373 or
in person