Schütz and his World – with Tutor Gawain Glenton

This workshop will focus on the works of Heinrich Schütz and his brilliant German 17th-century contemporaries.

Schütz is regarded today as the leading German composer before Bach, but there is still much we can learn about his life and world (for example his first name: he only ever signed himself Henrich). Born in Thuringia in 1582, he received early training at the court of Moritz von Hessen-Kassel before being allowed to study for three years in Venice with Giovanni Gabrieli. This sparked in Schütz a life-long desire to incorporate the sounds and styles of Venetian music into German musical life, a project he would take to great heights during his long tenure as kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.

Schütz was not the only German composer to be inspired in this way. Michael Praetorius also wrote highly Italianate music despite never travelling south of the alps (thanks to the explosion in Venetian music printing he could educate himself in the latest styles via imported printed editions). Hans Leo Hassler meanwhile made the journey to Venice a decade before Schütz, also studying with Gabrieli.

More broadly, Schütz was just one of many gifted German kapellmeister composers who produced music of great skill and emotional depth in the appalling backdrop of the Thirty Years War which ran from 1618-48. We will also explore large-scale works by some of these, including Hammerschmidt, Staden and Berger.

We invite singers and players of renaissance strings (from the viol and violin families) and winds (in particular cornetts, sackbuts and dulcians). Pitch A=440. Music will be provided, but players must bring your own music stand.

The Tutor – Gawain Glenton is a specialist cornetto player whose work as a soloist and an ensemble musician takes him all over the world and is a member and co-director of  the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble.

The Venue: St Mary’s Church is in St Mary’s Place situated just off the main street (Greengate Street) accessible on foot by the side of Boots Chemist or the Ancient High House. Road access (drop-off only) off Earl Street.

STOP PRESS: THERE IS A TRAIN STRIKE SCHEDULED FOR THIS DAY SO PLEASE CHECK BEFORE TRAVELLING. If you have no other way to get there please get in touch with Tim Boardman on 07794 837396 and he will try and help.

From Stafford Station (five minutes walk): turn left then immediately right over the river bridge, straight on through pedestrian area between Stafford College and law courts into St Mary’s Place. Regular direct trains from Birmingham New St.

Please note that the church does not have its own car park. We have arranged for a limited number of parking spaces in the church close, for those bringing bulky instruments or those with limited mobility. Please telephone or message Tim Boardman if you would like to make use of one of these spaces, and please try to car-share where possible. Tim’s mobile: 07794 837396.

Details of town car parks can be found at https://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/car-parking-in-stafford. The website includes a link to a map. Note that some car parks are pay-by-phone only.

Booking is now open.