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.
Summer is nearly here and for the next three months we have something for everyone. In May David Hatcher will lead the Baroque Band, which is open to all players of Baroque pitched instruments and in June we have a Polychoral Tour of Europe (very topical) for recorders, voices and viols with Alison Kinder. In July, following on from the highly successful Madrigal Day last year, we have a Renaissance Fest for singers and viol players to make music together in large and small groups. During the afternoon we will be serving cake with strawberries and cream to celebrate Summer! Take your pick!
After a very well attended and interesting workshop on Gesualdo with Robert Hollingworth we look forward in February to Peter Leech, always a fascinating Tutor, sharing his research into some little known composers in 18th century Rome. In March we will be singing music by other little known Franco-Flemish composers active in Italy – Cipriano de Rore and Jacquet of Mantua – with Stephen Rice of Bristol University. Then in April renaissance instrumentalists and singers have a chance to explore some wonderful music by Johann Schein, perhaps a better known composer, with Peter Syrus. Hope you can come!
The most observant visitors to the MEMF site may have already noticed that there is a new page under “Events”. We are hoping to start posting more photos of events, an old tradition which should be easier to uphold in these days of digital everything. To have a peep at some pictures of the Messiah workshop follow this link.
If you have your own photos of workshops and would like to contribute, Facebook users are very welcome to upload on the MEMF Facebook page. Or you can email them to one of the Committee.
A good turnout for the (slightly experimental) Messiah workshop with Steve Davis on 5th December. We had quite a well balanced chorus and band, complete with 2 trumpets and 2 oboes plus our Chairman on the theorbo adding colour. A longer review will appear in the next Newsletter.
Although this is a familiar work to most, there are still a few of us who rarely get the chance to sing it. Steve Davis took us through the most popular choruses but also a selection of the lesser known items for variety. It’s just such lovely, well-crafted music to sing and play, so descriptive. Steve was an energetic and encouraging conductor.
The festive energy was enhanced by a break for mulled fruit punch and mince pies before a final run through.
I’m sure the attendees will agree this was a great start to the Christmas season. If you have suggestions for future, similar events, do let the committee know!
Baroque instrumentalists are invited to a workshop on 3rd October with Tutor Kate Fawcett, exploring music by Purcell, Blow and Scheidt and Philip Thorby makes a welcome return in November with a now familiar double act: a workshop on Saturday and Master Classes on Sunday. The workshop is on the music of Andrea Gabrieli, Giovanni’s uncle, who was organist and composer at St. Mark’s in Venice and whose music is considered to be more subtle and expansive than his nephew’s.Then in December everyone is welcome to sing or play in choruses from the Messiah. Bring your friends and family to join in – there will be punch and mince pies too!
The Kerll workshop was an excellent day. David Hatcher is a superb tutor who knows just how much to rehearse without becoming tedious and can get the best out of singers and players alike. The music is quite complex and was apparently much studied – and copied – by Bach and Handel. We had to work hard, but it was all very rewarding.
We have a break for the summer, but look forward to Will Dawes of Stile Antico introducing us to music by Giaches de Wert on September 19th.
Who has heard of Johann Casper Kerll? …………… neither have I, but David Hatcher clearly has. Come to Rugby on July 11th and explore his Missa in Fletu Solatium – some of the music with which he made a name for himself in Vienna in the 1640s and which influenced many composers such as Bach and Handel. All singers, string and wind players (pitch A440) welcome. See events page to book.
March brings an fascinating look at three 16th century composers – Palestrina, Victoria and de Padilla – with Nigel Short, director of Tenebrae. Following in April we commemorate our late Chairman Edwin Griggs with a workshop on Three Generations of the Bach family tutored by Paul Spicer. This not only has a reduced fee but also a free buffet lunch to celebrate! Then in May we have an informal half day singing Madrigals one, two or more to a part according to taste. Come and join in!
The New Year Revels having sadly been cancelled, the first workshop in 2015 will be for Baroque instrumentalists in February, tutored by Martin Perkins,Head of Early Music at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Singers can look forward to exploring Palestrina, Victoria and de Padilla in March with Nigel Short, Director of Tenebrae.