2008 Mid-Winter Music Workshop

Transcription

1 T H E A T L A N T A E A R L Y M U S I C A L L I A N C E B R O A D S I D E Volume IX, # 3 March 1, Mid-Winter Music Workshop AEMA MISSION It is the mission of the Atlanta Early Music Alliance to foster enjoyment and awareness of the historically informed performance of music, with special emphasis on music written before Its mission will be accomplished through dissemination and coordination of information, education and financial AEMA s Website: The musicians came from all over the Southeast to the 5 th annual Mid-Winter Workshop. Clayton State University again opened its beautiful Music Education Building to 82 students and nine music Faculty. They had gathered for a day and a half of music making on their Early instruments. Kurt-Alexander Zeller has been the host for all these workshops. He always makes our experience very enjoyable. Our sincerest thanks go to him and his Department Chair and the Dean of the College for Arts and Sciences. The Mid-Winter workshop has been co-sponsored by the Atlanta Recorder Society, the Atlanta Early Music Alliance and local members of the Viola da Gamba Society for their members and nonmember participants. The Early Instruments involved in the workshop included Bowed Psaltery, the Recorder family, the Viola da Gamba family, Chalumeau, Cornamuse, Cornetto, Crumhorn, Dulcian, Baroque Flutes, Lute, Treble Quintone, Rackett, Sackbut, Shawm, Theorbo, Percussion and Voices. (Of course, Voices are the premiere Early Instruments!) The music, collected from the Faculty beforehand and mailed to all participants prior to the workshop for their preview, spanned the 14 th through the 21 st centuries. Even contemporary composers write for combinations of these instruments and graciously made their pieces available for the workshop. The Faculty: Jane Burke, William Hearn, Phil Hollar, Gerald Moore, Susan Patterson, Patricia Petersen, Claire Rottembourg, Gail Ann Schroeder and John Tyson. The various Groups of players enjoyed the encouragement of their Clinicians, who led to better understanding, interpretation and performance practices of the many styles of music. All gathered for the FINALE session in the Atrium of the Music Education Building and performed Antoine Brumel s Sicut Lilium inter Spinas and Orlando di Lasso s double choir composition Tutto lo Di mi dici: Canta! Canta! Canta!,,,, (All day I tell myself: Sing!), a fitting piece to end this inspiring event. In this issue: Mid-Winter Workshop - page s 1 3 Musica Transalpina Workshop -page 4 John Whitt -page 5 Francesca Caccini -pages 5-6 Member information -page 7 Musical Musings -page 8 Voices and Viols, directed by Jane Burke Continued on page 2

2 2 B R O A D S I D E March 1, 2008 The Atlanta Early Music Alliance Continued from page /2008 Board of Directors Jorg F. Voss, President jorg@jfv.com Susan Patterson, Vice President info@atlema.org Vicki Porter-Fink Secretary Gisela McClellan, Treasurer Jane Burke, Membership Chair jfburke100@aol.com Gray Crouse, at large George Lucktenberg, representing harpsichord interests within AEMA Viols, Theorbo, Sackbuts and Cornetto Sue Koenig Web Master Submissions for BROADSIDE to Susan Patterson 2228 Edison Ave. NE Atlanta, GA Early Music Concerts or Events: AEMA wants to help spread the word! If you want to make announcements, contact: Jorg Voss, jorg@jfv.com or Patricia DeWitt, patdewitt@shorter.edu Content Copyright 2007, Atlanta Early Music Alliance The FINALE

3 March B R O A D S I D E 3 The Musicians from Clarksville, TN Artwork by Joan M. Meixell, 2007 Intense Recorderists Contrabass Recorder Gail Ann: Where are the Viols? This is serious concentration!

4 4 B R O A D S I D E March 1, 2008 Musica Transalpina Workshop February 24, 2008 The Atlanta Early Music Community has once again had the pleasure of having Alison Crum and Roy Marks in our midst. This year, following the Music-on-the-Mountain Viol Weekend in Monteagle, TN, Alison and Roy visited St Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta. There, sponsored by AEMA and our Hostess, Jane Burke, Minister of Fine Arts at St Mark, was held an evening workshop for Voices and Viols in performing the Italian Madrigals known as the Musica Transalpina. Alison conducted the musical session. In 1588, Nicholas Yonge, an English singer, translated the words of a collection of Italian Madrigals into English and published the works for popular use. The popularity of this collection is considered to have been the genesis of an interest in Madrigal singing which lasted into the first decades of the seventeenth century. Musica Transalpina contains 57 pieces by 18 Composers.. Alfonso Ferrabosco (the elder) and Luca Marenzio contributed the largest number of pieces to the collection, but Lasso, Byrd, Palestrina, Conversi, de Monte, and De Wert are also represented. A second book, The Second Booke of Madrigalles... translated out of Sundry Italian Authors was published in Much of this collection of music has never been published in modern notation. Roy Marks, Alison Crum and Michael Foote are working with others to transcribe and eventually publish the collection in modern notation. The workshop gave us the rare opportunity to preview nine selections from the collection. The workshop setting was the beautiful Sanctuary at St. Mark [United Methodist Church]. Jane Burke assembled a fine group of singers: Lori Beth Johnson, Andrea Winkler, Caroline Nuckolls, Vanessa Little, Kurt Zeller, Beth Bell, Brenda Lloyd and Stephen Morris. Viol players present were Denise Maczura, Pam Woodcock, Brian Bishop, Susan Patterson, Jorg Voss, and Michael Foote. Alison ably guided the voices and viols together in producing the unique sound of strings accompanied by human voices. The nuance of placing accent according to the dictate of the lyric and the phrasing of the music helped instrument and voice to blend forming that lovely Voices and Viols sound we all love but so rarely have the opportunity to hear. The evening was enjoyable for all and left us anxious to see more from this very promising treasure trove of musical gems. Pamela Woodcock, Marietta, Ga

5 March 1, 2008 B R O A D S I D E 5 The Alliance: News of and for AEMA People and Communities John Whitt Mr. John Whitt joined Schola Cantorum this past December as its new director, inaugurating their season. Mr. Whitt has been the director of St. Bartholomew s Episcopal Church s Compline Choir (also called Schola Cantorum ) since 2000, and often serves as the substitute organist at St. Bartholomews and other Atlanta area churches. He has had extensive training and experience in church music education, organ performance and conducting, having studied at and received advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.. While at Westminster Choir College Mr. Whitt served as organist and choir master of St. Matthew s Episcopal Church and instituted a training program of the Royal School of Church Music (RCSM) for the youth choristers. A move to Winnetka, Illinois allowed him to, not only expand his role and duties as organist and choirmaster at Christ Church, but also gave him opportunity to practice vocal performance as a member of the 20 voice group His Majestie s Clerkes. With this group Mr. Whitt participated in the recording of a CD on the Harmonia Mundi label in The CD was directed by Paul Hillier and featured the works of William Billings. Mr. Whitt brings to Atlanta Schola Cantorum a new perspective and breadth of knowledge of early music, and has already expanded their repertoire significantly. Schola s spring concert will focus on a number of Psalm texts with works by William Byrd, Gregorio Allegri, Orlando Gibbons, and William Billings among other early composers. A featured work for the concert will be O Lord, consider my distress by Richard Nicolson, a late 16 th century English composer particularly championed by Mr. Whitt. The piece is a verse anthem for 5 soloists and choir, set to a metrical text of Psalm 51, in an edition researched and prepared by Mr. Whitt. The spring program will also include some later repertoire by Johannes Brahms and John Tavener. The Atlanta Schola Cantorum s Spring concert will take place Friday, May 2 nd at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur with a repeat performance on Saturday, May 3 rd at St. Bartholomew s Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Both performances will be at 8:00 PM. The choir will also be appearing as part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina over the Memorial Day weekend. Vicki Porter-Fink Francesca Caccini, again Jimmie Dawkins, a long term member of AEMA, sent us this note: The painting attached to the madrigal in the November issue is a reversed image of a painting called The Lute Player by Orazio Gentileschi. The young woman in this painting is generally accepted by scholars as his artist daughter, Artemisia. Well, we have all been misled by information on the WEB. The picture shown on the left was erroneously named Francesca Caccini in WEB information and in the November issue of BROADSIDE. Reversing it was my idea, however. JFV John Mortison transcribed the Madrigal by Francesca Caccini, shown in the November issue, into modern notation. Please turn to page 6.

6 6 B R O A D S I D E March 1, 2008

7 March 1, 2008 B R O A D S I D E 7 AEMA Membership Form Thank you for your interest in AEMA! Membership includes a newsletter, the Broadside, member rates at the Midwinter Workshop and other AEMA events, and reduced admission (same as senior admission) to concerts of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. Our membership year is July 1 to June 30. Your membership contribution, minus $10 for the newsletter, is tax deductible. If you work for a company that matches charitable contributions, please check with your Human Resources department to see if they will match your contribution to AEMA. Name Address City State Zip Code Phone: Home Work Other or If you participate actively in early music, please fill in medium and check performance category: Instrument or Voice Beginner Intermediate Advanced Professional Enclosed is payment of for the membership choice checked below: Individual Membership ($20) Please return to: Family Membership ($30) The Atlanta Early Music Alliance Group/Institutional ($45) P. O. Box 663 Supporting ($100) Decatur, Georgia AEMA Event Subsidies The Atlanta Early Music Alliance Offers its member Groups or Organizations subsidies for Early Music concerts with the following stipulations: Up to six (6) subsidies between now and June 30th, 2008 Each subsidy will be a maximum of $200 One subsidy per group or organization during this time span Each receiving group must be a member of AEMA in good standing The subsidy will support an audience event, such as a pre-concert discussion/lecture or reception. AEMA must be permitted to display its promotional materials. Both in the program flyer and verbally during the event, it must be stated: This event is cosponsored / supported by AEMA. People are invited to join AEMA.!!Hurry!! Only three Subsidies left. There will need to be two (2) complimentary tickets available for AEMA representatives. Applications will be accepted immediately. Please send a letter of interest and explain your project. Vicki Porter-Fink (preferred): sbvic@comcast.net Snail mail: Atlanta Early Music Alliance P.O. Box 663, Decatur, GA

8 The Atlanta Early Music Alliance P.O.Box 663 Decatur, Georgia Musical Musings Man has made many machines, complex and cunning, but which of them indeed rivals the workings of his heart? Pablo Casals That's all nonviolence is - organized love. Joan Baez You are the music while the music lasts. T.S. Eliot