Looking for a little diversion?

On today’s Noontime Concert on The Classical Network, the ensemble Pomerium will present “Musical Games, Puzzles, and Riddles of the Renaissance: A Century of Musical Ingenuity, 1410-1510.” The program was designed to complement an exhibit of Renaissance playing cards mounted at The Met Cloisters in early 2016.

Pomerium was founded in New York by Alexander Blachly in 1972. The group has fostered the careers of such outstanding early music performers as Julianne Baird, Drew Minter, and members of Anonymous 4.

This concert was presented at St. Bartholomew’s Church, 50th Street and Park Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, where free concerts are held every Thursday at 1:15 p.m.

Its broadcast is made possible in part by Gotham Early Music Scene, or GEMS. GEMS is a non-profit corporation that supports and promotes artists and organizations in New York City devoted to early music – music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical periods. For more information and GEMS’ events calendar, look online at gemsny.org.

Following the Pomerium concert, we’ll continue with an afternoon of musical diversions and cryptograms, shuffling works about games (Stravinsky’s “Jeu de Cartes” – “A Card Game”) with some actual musical puzzles and codes (Elgar’s “Enigma Variations”). Among these will be “32 Cryptograms for Derek Jarman,” a nod to Philadelphia composer Robert Moran, on his birthday.

Here’s hoping you’re game for an afternoon of great music, from 12 to 4 p.m. EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

PHOTO: Stravinsky the card sharp