At Moravian University, it is not every day that a program reaches 50 years and still feels as alive and connected as it did when it began. This past weekend, the Early Music program marked that milestone, and it was clear that what makes it special is not just the music but the community behind it.
The program started in 1976 when Larry Lipkis, professor of music and composer-in-residence, founded the Collegium Musicum. While the name refers to a society of amateur musicians, at Moravian it has come to mean something more. From the beginning, the group was built on the idea that music should bring people together, not separate them by experience level or background.
That sense of openness still defines the program today. The Collegium is made up of more than just music majors; it includes students from across campus departments, along with faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Bethlehem musical community. It creates a space where people who might not otherwise cross paths come together over a shared interest.
Part of what draws people in is the uniqueness of the instruments. Instead of the typical orchestral instruments, students have the chance to play Renaissance-era instruments like recorders, krummhorns, gemshorns, viola da gamba, lute and harp. For many, it is their first time ever seeing or hearing these instruments, let alone playing them. That experience makes the program feel different from anything else on campus.
Over the years, the Early Music program has continued to grow while keeping that same community focus. In 1992, Lipkis introduced The Mostly Monteverdi Ensemble, also known as the Monties. This group focuses on small ensemble vocal music where each singer has an individual part. It creates a more personal and collaborative environment where every voice matters.
The program expanded again in 2008 with the formation of the Baroque Ensemble, sometimes called Team Telemann, and later in 2015 with the addition of W.I.R.E., the Weird Instrument Renaissance Ensemble. W.I.R.E. highlights some of the program’s most unique sounds using krummhorns and gemshorns that many students had never encountered before coming to Moravian.
What stood out most during the anniversary celebration was how these groups continue to reflect the same ideals on which the program was founded. Whether someone is a first-year student trying something new or a community member returning year after year, there is a place for them.
This anniversary also carried extra meaning. Typically, milestones like this are recognized every five years with reunions and performances. This time, the 50th anniversary felt different.
Five years ago, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings like this were limited and, in many cases, not possible. The pandemic separated musicians and moved rehearsals online, pausing the sense of shared performance.
Due to those circumstances, this celebration felt like more than just another milestone. It reflected a return to what makes the program special. It gave current students, alumni and community members the chance to come together again in the same space, share music and reconnect in a way that had been missing.
The program also connected the Moravian community to a larger historical moment. In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, the performance focused on English and early American music from the colonial era. It served as a reminder that music has always been a way for people to share stories and build connections, even in the earliest days of the country.
“The first half of the program featured current members of the four ensembles performing the aforementioned Colonial-era music from America, including a sacred song by Johann Friedrich Peter, after whom Peter Hall is named. Other works in this half included a rousing tribute to General (not yet president) George Washington, composed by one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Francis Hopkinson,” according to Lipkis. “In the second half, forty alumni of the Early Music program dating back to the ‘70’s joined the current members onstage to perform a ‘greatest hits’ program of favorite Renaissance-era songs and dances from England, France, Germany, and Italy.”
Fifty years after its origin in 1976, the Early Music program is more than just a performance group. It is a space where people come together, try something new and become part of something bigger than themselves. At a university that values both tradition and community, it was a milestone worth celebrating.
