01 Oct Press Release: Time Stands Still

LES DÉLICES INVITES AUDIENCES TO PAUSE WITH TIME STANDS STILL, NOV. 21-22 IN CLEVELAND & ROCKY RIVER

Acclaimed early chamber music ensemble Les Délices continues its 2026–2027 subscription series with two Northeast Ohio performances of Time Stands Still, a shatteringly beautiful and deeply personal new program of music from early modern England featuring special guest lutenist Orí Harmelin and longtime collaborator soprano Elena Mullins Bailey. Time Stands Still brings particular focus to music by John Dowland, a visionary artist from Shakespeare’s time whose vibrant legacy still resounds today.

Les Délices will host two performances of Time Stands Still this fall. Saturday, November 21st at 7:30 pm at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland and Sunday, November 22nd at 4:00 pm at West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River.

Joining Elena Mullins Bailey and Orí Harmelin onstage for these concerts are Les Délices core members Debra Nagy (director, recorders) and Rebecca Landell (viola da gamba).

At A Glance:

What: Time Stands Still (music from 17th Century England)
When: Nov 21-22, 2026
Where: Performances in Cleveland and Rocky River
Who: Les Délices, Cleveland’s early chamber music ensemble

THIS EVENT IS TICKETED. Single tickets ($10-$28-$45) and season subscriptions are available for purchase on the Les Délices ticketing platform.

Celebrating John Dowland

2026 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of John Dowland (1563–1626), widely recognized as the greatest songwriter and lute player of the Shakespearean era and the most internationally renowned English musician of his age. In his lifetime, Dowland was compared to Orpheus, the legendary musician of Greek myth. He elevated the six-course Renaissance lute—the most popular and accessible secular instrument of the 16th and 17th centuries—into a vehicle of profound artistic expression.

Dowland was famous for cultivating a fashionable “cult of melancholy,” adopting the personal motto Semper Dowland, semper dolens (“Always Dowland, ever doleful”). His iconic pavan Lachrimae—whose descending four-note motif depicts falling tears—became a cultural touchstone of the period.

In addition to the famous Lachrimae pavan, Time Stands Still features some of Dowland’s most iconic songs, such as “Can she excuse my wrongs?”, “In Darkness let me Dwell” and “Time Stands Still.” Music by other notable English composers including Henry Purcell, Thomas Morley, and John Blow complete the program.

Creating an escape from modern life

In a world driven by constant momentum, Time Stands Still offers listeners a rare opportunity to catch their breath and step into a shared space of quiet tranquility. The program uses the restorative power of music to halt time, opening with the winding chromatic ground bass of Henry Purcell’s “Music for a While”—a piece composed specifically to cast a spell of stillness over the listener.

Instrumental selections like Thomas Preston’s mesmerizing variations “Uppon La Mi Re” (built over just three repeating notes) and kaleidoscopic ground-bass works by Elway Bevin and Solomon Eccles engage the mind in quiet contemplation. Rather than dwell indefinitely in sorrow, the program crafts a cathartic arc: after exploring dark, soul-cleansing works like Dowland’s “In darkness let me dwell”, the music turns toward warmth, love, and spiritual light. Through Thomas Morley’s playful recorder-and-viol duet “La Tortorella”, John Blow’s serene “Peaceful is he”, and Purcell’s majestic “Evening Hymn”, audiences are invited to find emotional renewal and quiet faith.

Special guest: Ori Harmelin

A highlight of the program is the Cleveland debut collaboration with lutenist Orí Harmelin. Based in Basel, Switzerland, Harmelin is one of Europe’s most versatile and sought-after lute specialists.

“We are thrilled to bring Orí Harmelin to Cleveland for these special performances,” says Les Délices Artistic Director Debra Nagy. “I’ve had the good fortune to work with Orí on several occasions and he is an incredibly sensitive and generous collaborator. He’s attuned to every breath and melodic gesture, which means that we can get straight to the heart of the deeply expressive music on this program.”

Orí Harmelin studied at the prestigious Early Music Institute in Trossingen under Rolf Lislevand and Kees Boeke, as well as the Zurich University of the Arts under Eduardo Eguez, and performs regularly across Europe, North America, and Asia as a soloist and as lutenist for renowned ensembles such as Profeti della Quinta, Voces Suaves, and Blue Heron. His discography includes acclaimed solo releases such as NESHIMA (2021) and VISÉE KAPSBERGER BACH (2026). Beyond his musical career, Harmelin is a practicing Gestalt therapist and host of the podcast The Curious Case Of Freedom.

EVENT DETAILS:
Time Stands Still: Contemplative lute songs by John Dowland and Henry Purcell

Live performances:

Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Cathedral
2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH

Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 4:00 pm
West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church
20401 Hilliard Blvd, Rocky River, OH