AUBURN - With its stone facade, high-reaching spires and ornately decorated and vaulted ceilings, St. Mary's Church in Auburn is in many ways reminiscent of a Renaissance era cathedral.

All this glamor creates the perfect setting for Musica Spei (Latin for Music of Hope), an a cappella music ensemble based in Rochester, that focuses exclusively on Renaissance period compositions.

The Rev. Frank E. Lioi of St. Mary's said that this is the third consecutive year the group has performed at the church.

He first encountered the group while serving as a priest in Rochester.

“They are an all volunteer group,” Lioi said. “None of them are professional singers. They perform a couple of times a year and I first saw them in Rochester and was impressed with what they were doing. When they asked if they could perform here I thought it was a wonderful idea.

“The acoustic characteristics for this kind of music are excellent,” Lioi said. “With the high ceilings and hard surfaces, it is the perfect place for this kind of singing.”

Lioi explained that the internal structure of St. Mary's creates a fine resonant tone that compliments the multi-part harmonies and counterpoint melodies of the music Musica Spei performs.

This year the group of 15 singers put together a selection called “Cathedrals of Sound: Soaring Choral Music of the English Renaissance.”

In the performance, the singers chose pieces all in original Latin, that were designed to create what the group refers to as “tour of sound.”

Songs like “Domine, Tu eruisti” (Lord Thou Hast Delivered) by Thomas Tomkins and “O lux, beata Trinitas” (O Trinity, Blessed Light) by Robert Fayrfax, symbolically represent juxtapositions of light and dark or quieter and louder spaces within the church, but they also touch on the same themes with their sonic characteristics as well, ranging from soft gentle melodies to full bass with heavy, rich dark sounds.

Lioi said that the group got started with the Renaissance Summer Sings in Rochester and from a core of dedicated singers grew into the current lineup.

Collectively the group researches songs of the time, looking for sheet music and studying older pieces, many of which have never been committed to recording. The group makes sure it is true to the musical styles of the time period.

Amidst its unique music selection, the group also has a few other unique characteristics.

“They don't have a conductor,” Lioi said. “They work on melding together. They also don't dress up like other ensembles will. They wear their ordinary clothes. They want this to be music for people, for everyone to be able to enjoy and to be accessible to everyone.”

Lioi hopes that the performance reaches the audience on several levels.

“There isn't much music like this around here,” Lioi said. “It is music of hope, but I would just like people to be able to come here and enjoy the performance and that they can come here and enjoy seeing good choral music of this kind.”