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Such a Privilege!
We have already had three stunning workshops this year with Robert Hollingworth, Sally Dunkley and David Hatcher. What a privilege to work with such amazing Tutors, and it was good to see such a large turnout for all of them. The year continues with Paul Spicer introducing us to Dominique Phinot later this month, ‘Lions of St Marks’ with Jamie Savan (a well known Tutor, but new to MEMF) in May and the welcome return of Theresa Caudle for a string workshop in June. Get booking!
Happy New Year!
Get set for a new year of wonderful music. First off Robert Hollingworth of I Fagiolini, back by popular demand, with some Renaissance music for Epiphany. February brings Sally Dunkley, a founder member of The Sixteen, to study some sacred Tudor music and in March David Hatcher will guide us through Handel’s exuberant Dixit Dominus. See the events page for a whole year of exciting workshops.
Sad news
We were sorry to hear of the death of our friend Sue Peters, a stalwart of MEMF, Committee member and for several years our Publicity Coordinator. Sue had been ill for some time, and some of you will have been receiving updates via her husband Colin. Our condolences to him and to friends and family.
Autumn Goodies
The new season begins with selections from Purcell’s King Arthur under the tutelage of John Hancorn, with opportunities for some solo singing and a special request for the Chorus of Cold People!
October features the Noodle Factory – the art of Improvisation, Ornamentation and Decoration with the excellent Paula Chateaneuf. Singers and instrumentalists should avail themselves of this opportunity to overcome natural bashfulness and have a go.
In November we welcome back the ever popular Philip Thorby for a two day workshop on movements from Benevoli’s Missa Tiracorda – a rare opportunity to experience this little known multichoral work.
Then it’s December and Ali Kinder will be serving up some lesser known Christmas music for voices and instruments interspersed with mince pies and stollen – can you resist?
Sing as though the sun is beating down on the back of your neck…
Another excellent workshop on Saturday with the irrepressible Richard Wilberforce guiding us through some Spanish Renaissance vocal Villancicos. The manuscript from which these delights were taken is the Cancionera di Upsala. Any relief that we didn’t have to sing Swedish was quickly swamped by the realisation that summer holiday Spanish wasn’t a lot of help! However, although Richard spent some time going over rough pronounciation (more to get some sense of style and some consistency), he was much more concerned with bringing out the beauty of the music.
The Villancicos are a mixed lot; some sweetly longing for the lover who never turns up, much praise of the Virgin Mary, and in one case a stern warning against becoming a cuckold! All share a definite sense of the strong tune (usually from a popular song) and often a chorus with a strong beat crying out for a backing group of percussion and plucked strings. We were encouraged to sing keeping in mind “the sun beating on the back of our necks and the colour of red tomato that you only get in a very hot climate”.
Looking forward; Heironymus Praetorius in Loughborough (June) and French music for the Baroque band in Warwick (July).
A sad day at the AGM as we bade farewell to our retiring Chairman Mike Ashley, who has stepped down after 3 years in the Chair preceded by 9 years as Treasurer. Heather Holt will take on the role as Acting Chair. David Yates also retired from the role of Secretary after several years. Two new Committee members were elected. Details will be in the minutes which will be circulated to members as usual.
How to make your brain ache while your heart melts
You’ve guessed it: sing Medieval music. A good turnout of around 50 singers enjoyed a fantastic workshop with Andrew Kirkman, bringing to life the delights of Josquin des Prez, Ockeghem, Dufay and Lionel Power.
This is tricky stuff: not written for our standard SATB choirs at all, and containing harmonies and rhythms that we don’t come across in the more familiar territory of later centuries. Andrew Kirkman’s approach was that we still needed to think of it as any other music and bring out the beauty of the lines rather than worrying too much about e.g. where the text underlay was “meant” to go.
The result was a day of fierce concentration and, in those heady moments when it all came together, heavenly music. Andrew expressed his appreciation for the high standard of MEMF sight-reading, although many of us were battling against some very non-standard ranges! It’s all a matter of having a go. Sight-reading/singing is the same as most musical skills in that it needs practising and a bit of risk-taking.
So if you fancy having a go at some more lesser-known repertoire, the next MEMF workshop is Monteverdi, The Sacred Dramatist. See the Events Diary for details.
Temptation
We began the year with a wonderful Renaissance vocal workshop with David Allinson, which was so oversubscribed we had to start a waiting list. David was in excellent and witty form as usual, though sadly will not be available for further Workshops for over a year as he is writing a book. But of course we have other top class Tutors to tempt you – Andrew Kirkman comparing Josquin, Dufay and Ockeghem in the new(ish) Dome Building in Birmingham University in March; Justin Doyle delighting us with extracts from the sacred dramas by Monteverdi for singers and instrumentalists in April and Richard Wilberforce exploring Royal music of the Spanish Renaissance in May. We also have Baroque workshops in February -Muffat with Nicolette Moonen – and French Music with Steven Devine in July. How can you resist!
Christmas is Coming
We look forward to Jeffrey Skidmore’s workshop on Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit on December 10th. Amazingly it will be 20 years to the month since Jeffrey did his first workshop with us on the same work!
The long planned Peerson project, Richard Rastall’s edition of Peerson’s Grave Chamber Musique, came to Birmingham in a very enjoyable workshop earlier this month. We were introduced to this long forgotten composer by Robert Hollingworth, rehearsing the singers, and Richard Boothby, rehearsing the viols, coming together at intervals throughout the day to perform this glorious music which deserves to be better known. Many of us came away with the CD that I Fagiolini and Fretwork recorded earlier this year.
Do look at the events page for next year’s line-up of inspiring Tutors!
New Season
Renaissance Fest in July was an excellent informal day with a long and delicious tea break! Members Sheila Koch and Jonathan Spencer organised the singers and viol players respectively and we sang and played some really lovely music.
The new season begins in September with Zielenski, the Gabrieli of Poland in Leamngton with Graham O’Reilly, followed in October with two days of the excellent Philip Thorby in Solihull. See the events diary for other treats.