➤ European choir fest at Castleton

Two professional choral ensembles from Europe — Italy’s Musicaficta and Koris Logo from Latvia — are touring America for the first time, with a stop, 4 p.m. June 25, at the state-of-the-art Castleton Theatre House.

The program is a mix of ancient orthodox sacred music, classical polyphony and modern works by such composers as Giovanni Pergolesi, Archangelski, Pablo Casals and John Tavener. Be prepared to hear the luscious sounds of the 16th-century Renaissance as well as traditional folk songs.

“We’re so pleased to welcome Musicaficta and Koris Logo to Castleton,” says CEO and Artistic Director Dietlinde Turban Maazel, “and believe that the incomparable acoustics of the Theatre House will be equally thrilling to both the singers and the audience. These songs were meant to be sung here.”

The 138-seat airconditioned proscenium theatre has an orchestra pit and seating on the orchestra level and in the balcony. It is the more intimate of the two venues on Castleton Farms. Castleton in Performance has partnered with Classical Movements, one of the world’s leading concert planning and music management companies, to bring these premier artists to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This concert is part of Classical Movements’ 2016 Serenade! Washington, DC Choral Festival.

The Italian choir Musicaficta was founded in 2001 by its present director Andrea Angelini. Angelini is a sought-after artistic director and guest conductor, most notably the artistic director of the International Festival Voices from America and the Sound of the Organ held annually in Rimini each spring. Musicaficta is an ensemble featuring male and female voices. Their set consists of mostly sacred music, such as “Crux Fidelis” arranged by Colin Mawby and “O Vos Omnes” arranged by Pablo Casals, but it also extends to pieces like “The Blue Bird,” a poem by Mary Coleridge set to music by Charles Villiers Stanford.

Male chamber ensemble Koris Logo traces its roots to the “Singing Revolution,” which restored independence to Latvia in the late ’80s, and a resurgence of popular interest in traditional sacred choir music. Leading the Latvian Culture Fund’s Choir during the ’90s, conductor and priest Ioanne Shenrock gave many performances in Latvia, Russia, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe, receiving recognition at international festivals and competitions. In those days the most impressive achievement of the choir was definitely Apocalipsis, a monumental piece by contemporary Russian composer Vladimir Martinov. The choir’s public debut was made at the liturgical church service in the Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Riga, the capital of Latvia. They will sing ancient and contemporary Orthodox compositions, as well as a few Latvian folk songs.

Tickets for the 4 p.m. show ($20 to $40) are available at castletonfestival.org or by calling 540-9373454.