Recorder Notes
September 2015
Vol. XLVII, No. 1
From the Music Director (Vicki Boeckman) SRS Meeting Greetings, Everyone! I cannot believe September is here! Whew! The summer has been a whirlwind o f music-­‐making activities and hasn't stopped yet. I hope you are as excited as I am about the start of our upcoming season, which is imminent now that we are adding September 11th as our first meeting date! We have a wonderful line-­‐up of guest conductors and opening programs for your learning and listening pleasure this season, in addition to plans for one-­‐day workshops, play-­‐dates, and master classes. I am especially looking forward to spending many hours familiarizing myself with Peter's rich and diverse music director's library—
an activity happening concurrently as this newsletter is released! For our September meeting I have chosen a variety of 5-­‐ and 6-­‐part English consort music ranging from Henry Purcell to Andrew Charlton. There will not be an opening program for our first meeting, so we will start right in at 7:30 after a few w elcoming announcements. All sizes of recorders and buzzies are welcome, as are violas da gamba. For those w ho prefer a smaller group, Sally Mitchell will once again be leading the Backroom Gang. I have rather large shoes to fill and am eager to embark on the exciting road ahead for SRS as w e move forward together. See you soon!
Friday, Sept. 11th, 2015 @ 7:30 pm Playing Session (Vicki Boeckman) English consort music from Purcell to Charlton All recorders, buzzies, and violas de gamba are welcome. The Backroom Gang (Sally Mitchell) Music will be provided. Detail of a 15th
century painting
Welcome . . . from the President of the SRS Board (Hanan Bell) Welcome back to SRS for 2015/2016. We had a smaller than usual but still very successful Port Townsend w orkshop this summer. Thanks to all who made this possible including Vicki, Jo, the organizing committee, the instructors, the participants, and especially all who contributed to the silent auction. This year w e will usher in a number of important changes. First, of course, is that Vicki Boeckman is taking over the position of music director following the retirement of Peter Seibert. I know she is planning many interesting programs for us. Second, this year we will be adding a September meeting to the schedule. Many have asked w hy we started in October and so this year we are trying a September meeting. Other special activities are being considered by your board. If you have any suggestions, please let me (or any board member) know. So, again, w elcome back, and I hope to see you at our inaugural September meeting.
Summer Holborne Playing A splendid way to end the summer . . . Our 3rd annual Holborne Play Date and Potluck w as a resounding success! Recorder enthusiasts ages 17 to 90 joined in to participate in this delightful tradition, which originated in Portland but now has evolved and morphed into our very own. Augmented with a chalumeau, concertina, cornamuse, and various implements of percussion, Vicki Boeckman led the enthusiastic group through several “choice” Pavanes, Almains, and Galliardes from Anthony Holborne's 1599 collection. The afternoon started gently and invitingly for all levels with Laura Faber conducting Polish dances by Vladamir Haussman. This w as our 2nd year in the lovely yard and home of Skipper Skelly (Laura Faber's mother) with classy tents and matching chairs! Thank you, once again, Skipper! (These photos by Jeff Seldomridge) (For additional photos, please see SRS’ Facebook page.) 2015/2016 SRS Meetings Meetings are usually (but not always—see red dates below) held on the first Friday of each month, September to May, at 7:30 p.m., Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, 10005 – 32nd NE, Seattle. Meetings include a short performance or lecture of interest to recorder and viol players, ensemble p
laying for all levels of recorder players, and a ensemble. beginning recorder A $5 d onation is requested for non-­‐members.
September 11, 2015
October 9, 2015
November 6, 2015
December 4, 2015
January 8, 2016
February 5, 2016
March 4, 2016
April 8, 2016
May 6, 2016
Play-­‐the-­‐Recorder Month: Seattle Style Many of you may recall the events of last March when Nancy Gorbman and Laura Faber put together a couple of events for “Play-­‐the-­‐
Recorder-­‐Month.” Afterwards, Laura submitted a description of the events, along with a photo, to the ARS. In July, she received a letter notifying her that SRS has won 3rd Prize in the Play-­‐the-­‐Recorder-­‐Month contest. The prize is a $50 gift certificate from the Von Huene Workshop. Congratulations to all w ho participated, and very special thanks to Nancy and Laura who made it happen! SRS and ARS are on Facebook For those of you who visit Facebook, frequently or infrequently, you may not be aware that SRS has its own Facebook page. On it, you’ll find a wide variety of topics that might interest you. Currently, you’ll find a number of photos from the Holborne Play-­‐Date, and if you scroll down far enough, you’ll come across various photos and videos from the recent Port Townsend Early Music Workshop held in July. Check it out! ARS (American Recorder Society) also has a Facebook page filled with an amazing array of photos, videos, and general information of interest to recorder players. It’s w orth looking at! November Early Music Workshops in California Road Scholar Early Music Workshops in Carmel Valley, CA, offers a chance to enhance your technique and ensemble playing. The theme this year is “Music of the Netherlands, England, and Spain.” Dates for this year’s workshops are: Week 1: November 1-­‐7, 2015 and Week 2: November 8-­‐14, 2015. Several SRS members regularly attend these workshops. Please go to www.hiddenvalleymusic.org for participating faculty, class offerings, facility photos, and other information. Seeking Recorder Players and Instruments (Chris Corfman) I’m looking for a few people to fill out a 4 -­‐part ensemble to play early to late Renaissance music. Also, I'm looking for a renaissance consort of recorders—all sizes from f to cc. For more information, please contact Chris at [email protected] or 206-­‐227-­‐5619. Master Class and Ensemble Coaching with Aldo Abreu! Save the dates!! When: December 12-­‐13, 2015 Where: TBA Who: All levels may audit, but active participation is limited to upper-­‐intermediate and advanced players. Ensembles may be of any configuration (recorders, winds, strings, continuo, etc.) More information and sign up forms will be in next month's newsletter. Refreshments (September 11th) Following tradition, members of the SRS Board w ill provide refreshments for the first meeting of the season. A sign-­‐up sheet for future meetings will be available at the September playing session. Thank you for volunteering! 1
Members’ Night, May 1st, 2015 (Text by Molly Warner; photographs by Bill Stickney) M EM BERS ' N IGHT , once again! Following tradition, the 2014/2015 SRS season was wrapped up in May w ith a wonderful evening in which w e played for each other. And w hat a great evening it was! Fourteen different presentations of about five minutes each were grouped into “Music of the Renaissance and Baroque” before the intermission and “Music of the 20th and 21st Centuries” after the break. To create a different feeling from our regular programs, the audience sat facing the south windows instead of towards the north wall. The “stage” was defined by two Persian rugs and two brass lamps. Our master of ceremonies for the evening was our president for 2015/2016, Hanan Bell, who did a splendid job of getting groups ready to w alk on stage, and making apt and amusing commentary. F irst up was one of our long-­‐
standing groups, Ye Olde Spice Girls (Cathy Lacefield, Nancy Gorbman, Ruth Pattison, Belinda Frazier, and Jill Shupe), on SATTB recorders. They played a song by Cipriano de Rore entitled “De La Belle Contrade D'Oriente,” with the voices of two lovers. He sings “How beautiful she is, like the rising star,” while she is distressed, “Oh, w hat w ill become of me?”. M ike Woolf on alto recorder and Christy Johnson on cello played two of seven movements of a Sonata in D minor by Georg Frederic Handel. Christy’s pizzicato accompaniment to the Largo was lovely, and Mike did a great job on o rnamentation and the cadenza. The interplay between the bowed cello and the recorder parts on the Alla Breve was lively and fun! S pring Consort is one of the groups under Laura Faber's direction. Formerly beginners, they are now intermediate recorder players! Michael Bancroft, Maja Eberhardt, Christine Jerse, Ann Kimball, Barbara McKnight, Kate Riley, Karen Soma, and Woody Wood collectively played very nicely in tune. We heard “Ballo de Colla” and “La Bella Pardrina” by Gaspara Zanetti, followed by an arrangement by Peter Seibert of Thomas Tallis' “If You Love Me.” Laura said that in honor of Peter's decades of serving as SRS Music Director, each of her groups would play a work written or arranged by him. Lovely! C arolyn Lober on alto recorder, accom-­‐
panied by Gerrity Shupe on harpsichord, played the first movement (Allegro) of Giuseppe Sammartini's Concerto in F. (He was the older brother of Giovanni Sammartini.) Carolyn had memorized her part! She was cool as a cucumber, playing many little themes with a lot of arpeggios. Wow, Carolyn! Recorder Classes (Laura Faber) Note: New beginners are welcome at any time. Contact Laura to get started. Advanced Beginner/Lower Intermediate Ensemble Mondays – 7:45 to 9:15 pm Advanced Beginner/Lower Intermediate Ensemble Thurs. – 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Intermediate Ensemble Mondays – 6:00 to 7:30 pm Bass Class Saturdays – 10 am to 12 pm * * * Class Descriptions Advanced Beginner/ Lower Intermediate Ensemble (SATB) Comfortable w ith all common fingerings and rhythms Intermediate Ensemble (SATBGB) Playing both F and C instruments, counting halves, reading from parts Bass Class Any player interested in learning more about bass technique may join at any time. People who are interested should contact Laura directly at [email protected] or (206) 619-­‐0671. 2
Members’ Night, 2015 (continued) T he Rain City Pipers (John Bumanglag, Luis Ben Abad, Chu-­‐Lan Chiong, Paola del Sol, Maja Eberhardt, Dave Gloger, Kathy Graunke, Janice Hougen, David Maughan, Barbara McKnight, Jherek Swanger, and Mike Wagenbach, conducted by Laura Faber) carried umbrellas or were otherwise appropriately attired in rainpants, boots, or rain hats. On two sopranos, four altos, two tenors, and three basses they played an anonymous Scottish Tripla and an arrangement by Peter Seibert of Orland Gibbons' famous madrigal, “The Silver Swan.” Well done! T he Woodland Trio (Mary Ann Clymer on alto, Ellis Hillinger on tenor, and Susan Burris on bass recorder) played a Largo from Sonata in D dur by Johann Joachim Quantz (originally for three flutes) and “Vario 19” of the Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach (originally for keyboard). Both of these were very nice pieces. C hris Corfman bravely entertained us with the only unaccompanied solo piece of the evening, played from memory. He chose “Van Goosen” from Jacob van Eyck's Der Fluten Lustof, and played several variations. Terrific, Chris! J ust before intermission, Sweet ‘N Low (Vicki Boeckman & Silke Harper on Renaissance sopranos with Bill Stickney o n baritone saxophone) played Sonata sopra L'Arie di Ruggiero by Salamone Rossi. This piece involved lots of imitation between parts and really zipped along at the end. The recorders held up well against the sax because they w ere octaves higher, but Bill was holding back, I think, so as not to overwhelm the others with all the decibels he is capable of producing! A fter intermission, the program turned to newer music. Basso Nova is the name of the class for bass recorders led by Laura Faber (with Mary Ann Clymer, Betsy Darrah, Maja Eberhart, Nancy Lewis, David Maughan, Sharon Schuldt, Betty Swift, Mike Woolf, and Ione Turman). They played “Canon for Four Bass Recorders” by David P. Ruhl, a cute piece with an “oom-­‐pa-­‐pa” feel to it. This was followed by “Ten Bass Hit” by Peter Seibert, who wrote this for a class taught by Frances Feldon at the Port Townsend Early Music Workshop several years ago. Nicely played, everyone! SRS Board Members (2015/2016) Music Director: Vicki Boeckman (206-­‐985-­‐9916) [email protected] Music Director Emeritus: Peter Seibert (206-­‐329-­‐2774) [email protected] Officers: President Hanan Bell (206-­‐695-­‐2276) [email protected] President-­‐Elect: Mike Woolf (206-­‐300-­‐6623) [email protected] Past President: : Kathleen Arends (425-­‐649-­‐9869) [email protected] Secretary: Kathleen Arends (425-­‐649-­‐9869) [email protected] Treasurer: Richard Ginnis (206-­‐633-­‐1969) [email protected] * * * * Membership: Betty Swift (206-­‐323-­‐3879) [email protected] Newsletter: Karen Berliner (206-­‐550-­‐3384) [email protected]
Refreshments: Molly Warner (206-­‐523-­‐5192) [email protected] Webmaster: Charles Coldwell (206-­‐328-­‐8238) [email protected] Members-­‐At-­‐Large Ellis Hillinger (206-­‐547-­‐0718) [email protected] Katie Sprugel [email protected] Carolyn Wallace (206-­‐782-­‐6898) [email protected] “Recorder Notes” is published monthly, September through May, for its members by the Seattle Recorder Society. 4554 – 4th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. $40 Annual Membership Dues. www.seattle-­‐recorder.org 3
Members’ Night, 2015 (continued) A s always, we can count on L Hotaling for an imaginative and dramatic creation. This year, she teamed up with Vicki Boeckman as “A Mythical Beastie.” For this presentation, entitled “Improvisation on ‘In the Back Back Garden, Thomasina,’” L recited the poem by A.E. Housman (1859-­‐1936) accompanied by Vicki who played soprano, alto, and bass recorders at various times, w ith many references to famous phrases from familiar pieces. It was quite funny, and both participants hammed it up with great flair. Thank you, L and V icki! A memorable performance! E nsemble Primavera (Betsy Darrah, Laura Faber, Sandra Hartley, Nancy Lewis, Karen Soma, and Ione Turman), a group coached by Laura, played “Canturbury Trio” (Pilgrimes Fantasye) by Glen Shannon, doubling the parts (AATTBB). Glen is a 21st century composer, very active in writing for the recorder, and his music often has humorous twists. This enjoyable piece contained a “pseudomadrigal.” M embers' Night over the years has been the venue for several world premieres, and tonight the Big Byrds (Kathleen Arends, Tommy Arends, Anne Dennis, Jim Pilon, Gerrity Shupe, and Molly Warner) presented two new pieces arranged specifically for this group. “Wolf, Fox, Hare,” based on a traditional tune, was arranged by Kathleen Arends, and was characterized by energetic rhythms and interesting harmonies. “Memory Rag,” a sweet, haunting piece by Drake Mabry (Kathleen's former oboe teacher, now living in Paris), was commissioned by Kathleen, who requested a composition using the several instruments the group plays. The melody line played by Tommy Arends on concertina w as reminiscent of Edith Piaf's singing. Thanks, Kathleen, for your roles in bringing these two new works to light! L aura Faber and Mike Woolf, on alto recorders, combined poetry readings with the imaginative works of Australian composer Lance Eccles (from On the Forest Floor, “Wombats' Breakfast,” “Antechinuses,” and “Grasshoppers”). Delightful, funny little poems and so well described by Eccles’ quirky music! T he Ravenna Consort (Judy Barton, Hanan Bell, Karen Berliner, Doug Sprugel, and Katie Sprugel) w rapped up the evening with two pieces, beginning with “The Bass Quartet” by Maurice Whitney. Hanan, Karen, Doug, and Katie played four quite different-­‐looking bass recorders—a Rössler, a square Paetzoldt, a Mollenauer, and a Moeck w ith a bocal—yet they blended beautifully. Judy joined the others for “River Song” by Rosemary Robinson, an interesting canon with lots of dissonance. Well done! * * * * * * * * * * * * Thanks to everyone for all the thoughtfulness and the many hours o f rehearsal that went into preparing the presentations of this evening. Amateur recorder playing is alive and well in Seattle! W e look forward to reconvening in September. Adventures at the Port Townsend Early Music Workshop – July 5th to 11th, 2015
(Introduction by Molly Warner; photos by Vicki Boeckman)
The sixteenth Port Townsend Early Music Workshop w as a great success! This every-­‐other-­‐year event for amateur musicians, begun by the Seattle Recorder Society in 1983 in Port Townsend, has been held since 2009 on the lovely campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. For the last three seasons, the workshop has been carefully planned and carried out by the highly competent team of Vicki Boeckman (Music Director) and Jo Baim (Administrative Director). This year there w ere 68 attendees from eleven states and two Canadian provinces (Washington 33, British Columbia 1 0, California 10, Oregon 3, Minnesota 2, Alberta 2, and one each from Hawaii, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Maine, Idaho, and Montana). We had fourteen wonderful faculty members w ho coached recorders, early winds, viols, voices, or percussion. Twelve of the faculty were veterans of the PTEMW in recent years or in the d istant past, w ith Miyo Aoki and Adam Gilbert as most welcome first-­‐timers. Our week zipped by with the following schedule: four classes a d ay with W ednesday afternoon off, and evening programs that included an orientation and coached playing session with Vicki Boeckman, a drum circle with Peter Maund, a faculty jam session with dessert, a faculty concert, and a parade to the salmon dinner with entertainment (costumes w ere optional). The week concluded with the student concert on Saturday morning. Whew! Luckily there was some free time (between scheduled activities, meals, and collapsing into bed at night) for spontaneous playing—ranging from duets to a dozen recorders w ith harpsichord to the Celtic jam session led by Debbie McMeel. This particular w orkshop appeared to run effortlessly and seamlessly, thanks to the planning and experience of Vicki and Jo, and to wonderful, kind Jo's careful tweaking and day-­‐to-­‐day adjustments. Jo engineered rides to and from the airport as w ell as overnight hospitality before and after the workshop, negotiated w ith the U. of Puget Sound conference service, assembled the packets with every-­‐
one's individual schedules, deftly handled questions, and helped those who asked for a hand. She also played harpsichord and drums. Thanks are due also to several Seattle Recorder Society members w ho pitched in to help—for providing rides for out-­‐of-­‐towners, loaning a copier, organizing and running the silent auction, loaning instruments, and handling the finances along with Jo. David Ohannesian came for three days with his recorder fix-­‐it shop, did a brisk business, and participated in the faculty concert. And what fun w e had! We all stayed in Trimble Hall w ith its suites of single rooms around common living and bath facilities. The UPS cafeteria provided a very broad ranges of choices for each meal, the w eather was wonderful (after the very hot first d ay), and many of us enjoyed eating outdoors o n the patio in the sunshine. Meals were highly sociable, and w e all made new friends and reconnected with old ones. * * * * * * * * * * * * And, now comes the best part of this article. Since it would be impossible for one person to review all the classes in the workshop, we followed our tradition of asking for volunteers among the participants to write about each of the fabulous faculty members. What follows on the next seven pages is what they had to say. Enjoy! Adam Gilbert: That Old Renaissance Song and Dance
Focusing on the relationship between Renaissance songs and dances, Adam helped us
explore the evolution of these forms in a most entertaining fashion. We've all had
those classes where you are presented with a piece of music, then a second piece
from a century later, are told how obvious it is that the later one is a variation on
the first one, then a third from a later period, etc. ad nauseam. My mind tends to
fog somewhere along the way as I struggle to hear this similarity. Instead, Adam
gave us the early version of a melody consisting of a few notes, and then helped us
figure out, on our own, how to build the additional lines and ornamentation. It was a
wonderful, fascinating class full of his lively demonstrations.
I also recommend that you avoid his classes if you don't want to have fun.
You don't expect Renaissance dance music to be serious, do you?
Photo by Ellis Hillinger
Ellis Hillinger, Seattle WA
Brent Wissick: Go Loopy for Lupo
Early on, we learned that Thomas Lupo did not operate in a vacuum. His
very musical family, by way of Italy and the Netherlands as well as other
points of interest, brought to the English courts a variety of musical
colors. While we explored several fantasias, Brent helped us appreciate
the very vocal and madrigal-like moments in Lupoʼs work To help us focus
on this we also played music by other composers such as Cipriano and
Arcadelt. Brent skillfully reminded us of other important folks like
Coprario, Gibbons, and Ferrabosco who worked in the courts of Elizabeth
and James who would possibly have influenced Lupoʼs work. The six of us in
the class thoroughly enjoyed two 3-part pieces by Lupo. One of them was a
Fantasia (VdGS 14) which practically sang itself (on the viol) as Brent
helped us with the beautifully crafted polyphonic lines. The other was a
Pavan (VdGS 1) with equally engaging lines. Brentʼs techniques of getting us
to count in different modes, make dynamic changes that would fit the
words if there were some, and shape phrases to define the musical ideas
were extremely helpful. All in all, “Loopy Lupo” was a very gratifying class.
Janet Loy, Portland OR
Brent Wissick: The Suites of Muffat
Exquisite is the best way to describe Brent’s handling of the Muffat class.
For years I have been a student of his in various workshops. Over time, he
has performed so much music in so many venues that he has huge amounts of
knowledge to add to the basic coaching of such a class. One student said to
me, “He makes everyone feel comfortable in the class, no matter what level
of ability the student has.”
Linda Shortridge, Hanville WA
Clea Galhano: A Musical Mosaic through Time
I first experienced the pleasure of working with Clea a couple years ago in the 2013 workshop. After that, I’ve been
“hooked on Clea.” Her CD plays in my car, and I’ve turned many passengers on to her music, happily answering questions
such as, “What is that instrument?”, “How can she go so fast?”, and “You know her?”.
So here I was again in her orchestra—a brave member of the alto section. We took on the likes of Josquin Des, Handel,
Debussy, Rosin, and a collection of Irish tunes arranged by Steve Marshall— 500 years of music. With her expertise
we polished four of those pieces to perform at Saturday’s student recital. Lots of emphasis on starting and stopping
at appropriate times, articulating short and long notes, breathing at the right places, and listening to other sections
as well as our own all helped create a performance we could be proud of.
“Ave Maria” set the mood with slow serenity: “Sing this. Now play like you’re singing this.” Peter Seibert’s arrangement of
the Allegro section of Water Music was next: “Take your mouth off your recorder to make the notes short.” “Road to
Lisdoonvarna” was next, and so much fun to play! (Clea doesn’t know how happy this alto was to learn the jig was cut from
the program. Fun to play, but wow those notes were tricky). Last, we played “Double Pleasure” with delightful solos from
Isabella and Ellis: “Five dollars goes to the Recorder Society if you play before I cue you.” That worked.
Clea, I thank you for another wonderful and exhilarating experience. The tunes are still going in my head. You have the
patience of a saint, the skill of a true artist, and the ability take 31 miscellaneous recorder players and transform them
into an orchestra in five days. And, we had a great time, as well.
Susie Keithly, Lummi Island WA
Louise Carslake: William Byrd
The Byrd class was wonderful. I love Louise’s enthusiasm and her
gentle way of improving our playing. Louise presented us with
several selections from the vast and varied repertoire of William
Byrd. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and her suggestions for
improving our playing were both kind and helpful. I now have a
better understanding of Byrd's works, as well as a clearer idea of
how to perform them.
This was a class I would take again.
Marylee Lanname, Eugene OR
Gayle and Phil Neuman’s Buzzie Class: Technique for Early Double Reeds
The buzzie class consisted of two racketts, a variety of krummhorns, cornamuses, dulcians, and a kortholt.
We explored music arranged by Phil Neuman for buzzie ensemble. The music was mostly secular and from the 15th century.
Gayle Neuman, an expert reed maker and “reed doctor” helped students adjust and modify reeds throughout the week.
She was able to change the timbre and volume produced simply by shaving or pinching the reed. She taught us how to
do some simple maintenance on our own as well. Both Gayle and Phil played dulcian along with our group of seven students
which created a wonderful ensemble sound: full, rich, and usually in tune! It was such a pleasure to study under these
two talented instrument makers and players. It was a great way to start the day.
Kate Bracher (Brunswick ME) and Debbie McMeel (Bellingham WA)
Gayle Neuman: The Music of Clement Janequin
Five recorder players attended this class to play many songs
for 4 and 5 voices. Some were short and sweet, for example,
“The prettiest one in the town,” while others were
melancholy, described the moods of the wind, or lamented
unfaithful loves. Gayle read the translations of each song, so
we knew what stories a singer would have told. Two of the
songs we played were quite long and different from each
other. “Le chant des oiseaux, Song of the Birds,” is likely
known to many of you. We had a good time imitating bird calls!
The other, “La Guerre, The War,” depicted preparations for
battle, travel to the battle, the battle itself, and return
home. The variety of sounds—trumpets, marching, the chaos
of fighting, and the weary return home—were challenging, as
was the intensity of the piece, but Gayle kept us going
through the dense polyphony. All week she led us through
many pieces of music with helpful tips and good humor,
occasionally playing a recorder or singing along with us or
tapping the beat with a Greek-style foot-powered “clicker.”
Well done by all!
Carolyn Wallace, Seattle WA
Phil Neuman: Early Music of Scotland
Taking this class from Phil Neuman was great fun. He
combines enormous erudition with equal parts humor. Alas,
this class was only the tip of the tip of the iceberg of his
knowledge in this area. I look forward to taking other
classes from him in the future.
Lee Harrison, Helena MT
Photo by Ellis Ellinger Peter Seibert: Voices and Viols
I am always impressed at Peter’s ability to pull together a disparate collection
of recorders, viols, and voices over the course of a week to performance level
for the student concert on Saturday. He manages to get across the essential
techniques of playing and singing so that we integrate into an orchestra. He
does this with wit and charm so that the entire process is fun and instructive.
We worked on a total of seven pieces over the course of the week and then
performed three of the best for the student concert. Thank you, Peter, for
another inspiring “Voices and Viols” class at Port Townsend 2015. I am already
looking forward to “Voices and Viols” 2017!
Bill Warren, Seattle WA
Peter Seibert: Voices and Viols
Peter brought to our rehearsals a careful knowledge of each of the seven pieces, both with regard to the big picture—such
as the place in history of the composer, his livelihood, patron, and politics—and to the little details of how to bring life
to each piece. He encouraged us with words such as, “Swell the voices here, all breathe together there (viols as well as
recorders and singers), end those words with distinct consonants, and make those musical phrases express the intent and
passion of the words (in English or in Latin).” Singers stood behind their instrumental counterparts so that Peter knew just
where to cue each section.
We began on Monday with four pieces by sixteenth century English composers (William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, and others) and
added more as the week progressed. Peter had timed how many minutes we would work on each piece each day. By Friday the
pieces on which we had worked the hardest had really jelled. What fun to work under the direction of such an experienced
choral and orchestral conductor! Thanks once again, Peter. I, too, will sign up for this class next time!
Molly Warner, Seattle WA
Frances Feldon: Polyphonic Pinball Wizard
Frances Feldon's unassuming demeanor is a kind of camouflage hiding, except
for the perceptive, her considerable gifts as performer, teacher, administrator,
arranger of popular 20th century music for recorders, etc. For example, the title
of her class on Henry Purcell, “Polyphonic Pinball Wizard,” was inspired by
a song in The Who's rock opera “Tommy”—a video of which she shared with
the class. As part of each session, we sight-read music from Purcell's “Fairy
Queen.” In addition, the curriculum included music which influenced Purcell as
well as music he had influenced. Frances led us into and through the pieces
in a relaxed, always supportive manner.
Carolyn Swears, Milwaukee WI
Nina Stern’s Master Class
Nina Stern led a Master Class that felt very much like a
personalized seminar on technique and ornamentation. She
gave each participant ideas for improving their sound using air
(“It's master of all. It's our sound. It's our friend.”) and
articulation. She reminded us to keep our movements minimal
with levity (“I'm getting seasick!”, “No chicken wings!”) and
thoughtful inspiration (“Imagine the beauty of the sound you
are going to make.”). Each student presented a piece of their
choice and an ornamented movement of a Telemann Methodical
Sonata. All the students tried their hand at making some
Telemann-style ornaments, and lively discussions resulted. The
recurring question of the week was “Have you read Quantz?”
which has most certainly led to the purchase of at least a few
more copies of that venerable tome, On Playing the Flute.
Laura Faber, Seattle WA
Peter Maund: Medieval Instrumental Dance Music
In this fantastic class we explored the structure
of medieval dance music by playing, analyzing, and
comparing estampie, dances which paired slower first
movements with faster second ones, and other
pieces. We learned vocabulary and notation to guide
the repetitions that are a defining characteristic
of this type of music.
Our first homework assignment was to compose
a variation on an estampie. We created a longer
interesting piece by plugging our variations into
the structure and were pleased by the creation.
We paid attention to making music in a deeper way
through this exercise.
It was a luxury for the recorders to be joined by Peter
and another percussionist. The percussion was
absolutely essential. As we played through the pieces,
Peter untangled rhythms and focused the spirit of the
music. Every class seemed to end too soon. By the
way, did YOU know that to play 7 against 1 you say,
“Happy hippopotamus?”
Liisa Peterson, Bainbridge Island WA
Mary Springfels: Technique and Please Send Regretz!
What a lucky person I was to have Mary Springfels, extraordinary
performer on the viola da gamba, for an afternoon class and two
sessions of a morning technique. Mary is a walking encyclopedia of
musical knowledge and an incredible analyst and teacher of
instructions for playing the gamba from as far back as the 16th
century. The morning class was filled with a facsimile version of
scales and fingerings from Christopher Simpson’s great tutorial
about divisions published in 1665. In addition Mary thoughtfully
had created a modern translation for us with more familiar clefs.
Her points about learning the fingerings for scales in such a way as
to be able to transpose anywhere on the keyboard were invaluable:
“Your keyboard, it’s about the GRID!”
Our afternoon class was called Please Send Regretz! This was
mostly somber texts by composers like Brumel, Pierre de la Rue,
and Agricola, all from a book compiling music collected by and in
the time of Marguerite of Austria. We loved those open fifths and
clashing seconds. All in all, a viol player could not have had any
better technique and musical guidance on the gamba than sitting
alongside Mary Springfels, one of our master teachers whose
numbers just declined with the loss of Margriet. We hope
to have Mary back again and again.
Ellen Seibert, Seattle WA
David Morris: Take No Prisoners!
Technique and Music Theory
I was lucky enough to have David Morris for both Viola
da Gamba Beginnerish Technique and Music Theory. He
is razor sharp, in charge, respectfully pushy, and fun.
In the technique class we worked on a duet that
required changing hand position and reading two clefs.
His guidance opened up new ways of thinking about
practice and getting the music under our fingers.
His advice for overcoming something challenging
is to do something challenging.
The music theory class was a quick run through the
description and rules of our western music heritage
up to the end of the 19th century. We covered a lot
of territory in four classes! David provided interesting
handouts and ran us through various exercises
to clarify and enlighten.
David Morris is a gifted teacher along with being an
awesome musician. Both classes were unanimously
impressed and improved by his touch.
Liisa Peterson, Bainbridge Island WA
Miyo Aoki: Recorder Technique and Consort
Miyo Aoki, a recent newcomer to Seattle, has a very warm and
welcoming approach to teaching, especially for beginning
recorder students, that made all of us feel very comfortable.
She started each class with breathing techniques and with long
tones. These were very informative to many of us. Correct
breath control helps in holding longer notes and phrases. It was
interesting to see how difficult it is to hold a tone in pitch.
Several exercises such as “passing the tone to one another”
and walking and playing along with rising and falling tones
demonstrated how easily tone can be affected. The concept of
“warmer, slower” air for lower tones and “cooler, faster” air for
higher notes was demonstrated by blowing into one’s hand and
feeling the difference in the speed of the air—an especially
insightful exercise. We practiced holding a long tone and
visualizing a “figure 8,” to make the note more interesting.
We also practiced overtones and looking for
the “magic” note, by playing the F very softly. Another
illuminating technique to assist in the timing of notes, was to
turn the head of the recorder 90 degrees so that only one note
was played, all the holes being uncovered. We then “played”
the piece on that single note, looking for proper timing. This
allowed hearing what the breath was doing without regard
to the proper note. Her use of metaphors, such as “riding a
bike in the sand,” was very useful in making sure the piece
moved along and we kept up the pace. We played “In nomine” pieces of Christopher Tye from the
16th century. The In nomine voice is a series of long notes that
act as the foundation of the piece. Our job was to listen for
that foundation. In addition, Miyo introduced us to hemiolas in
the piece. We also played “Royal Wind Music’”from John Adson.
Miyo did a wonderful job in raising the playing level of the
class, especially in the areas of tone and breath control.
Dan Hrehov, Maple Valley WA
Many thanks to all who provided these heartfelt reviews of the workshop faculty. Together, your writings paint a personal and up-­‐
close view of the Port Townsend Early Music Workshop. Vicki Boeckman
In my role as a dean, one of my most important
jobs was identifying talent and then
determining if they had the potential of
achieving greatness. My selection of this
workshop was mostly based on selecting talent
to help me, as a beginner, avoid developing bad
habits. While I realized that the faculty of
the workshop was loaded with talented
musicians, Vicki—after I read her resume and
listened to her CDs—was unquestionably the
person I wanted to get me started with a
minimum of bad habits and an understanding of
how to get a sound I would like to hear come
out of the stick with holes that I had just
bought. For that reason, I made my coming
contingent upon at least two lessons with Vicki,
to which she graciously agreed.
When I watched her conduct the faculty
jam session on Tuesday night I knew this
was a very gifted woman. Watching how
beautifully she interacts with people, her
sense of organization, and on top of that her
extraordinary musical talent you know you have
a person who is not only talented but destined
to achieve greatness.
Bob Stein, Los Angeles CA
Concerts and Events Calendar
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Fri., Sept. 11 @ 7:30 pm: Seattle Recorder Society Meeting. Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Seattle. www.seattle-­‐recorder.org Fri., Sept. 11 @ 7:30 pm: Cappella Romana presents: “Rachmaninoff’s All-­‐Night Vigil—‘The V espers.’” St. James Cathedral, 9th and Marion, Seattle. www.cappellaromana.org Sat., Sept. 12 @ 2 pm: Moss Bay Recorder Society Meeting. Sally Mitchell directing “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Northeast Library, 6801 35th Ave NE, Seattle. www.mossbayrecorders.org Tues., Sept. 15 @ 7 pm: Early Music Underground presents: “Baroque Britannia.” Naked City Brewery & Taphouse, 8564 Greenwood Ave. N, Seattle. www.emuseattle.com Tues., Sept. 15 @ 7:15 pm: Tembembe Ensamble Continuo presents: “Laberinto en la Guitarra.” Combines music of the Spanish and Mexican Baroque guitar with today’s popular traditional Mexican sones. TH. EMG. Tues., Sept. 22 @ 7:30 pm: Agave Baroque presents: “Queen of Heaven: Music of Isabella Leonarda.” Agave Baroque will be joined by acclaimed countertenor Reginald Mobley to perform sacred music by the Italian nun composer Isabella Leonarda (1620-­‐1704). A powerful visual media presentation will accompany the music. TP. www.agavebaroque.org Sat., Sept. 26 @ 7:30 pm: The Byrd Ensemble presents: “QUINTEssential Sheppard.” St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1245 1 0th Ave E, Seattle. www.byrdensemble.com Sun., Sept. 27 @ 3 pm: Early Music Underground and Agave Baroque presents: “Song of Songs: Music of Love and Loss in the Shadow of the Thirty Years' W ar.” Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Mercer Island, 4400 8 6th Ave SE, Mercer Island. www.emuseattle.com Sat., Oct. 3 @ 8 pm: Seattle Baroque Orchestra presents: “Ebb and Flow—Water Music.” Seattle Baroque’s new music director, Alexander Weimann, leads the o rchestra in the season’s opening concert, a program devoted to the power and majesty of water. TH. EMG. Fri., Oct. 9 @ 7:30 pm: Seattle Recorder Society Meeting. Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Seattle. www.seattle-­‐recorder.org Sat., Oct. 10 @ 2 pm: Moss Bay Recorder Society Meeting. Shoreline Library, 345 Northeast 175th Street, Shoreline. www.mossbayrecorders.org Fri., Oct. 23 @ 8 pm: Bach Collegium Japan presents: “Vivaldi, Handel, Bach.” The lively music of three Baroque titans is performed by Bach Collegium Japan in its Seattle debut. TH. EMG. Sat., Oct. 24 @ 8 pm: Pacific Musicworks presents: “Monteverdi 1610 Vespers.” Stephen Stubbs d irects an international dream team of vocal soloists and instrumentalists including one of the leading Monteverdi singers of our time, English tenor Charles Daniels, and cornetto virtuoso Bruce Dickey. St. James Cathedral, 804 9th Ave, Seattle. www.pacificmusicworks.org EMG (Early Music Guild, 206-325-7066) www.earlymusicguild.org
TPC (Trinity Parish Church, 609 – 8th Avenue, Seattle) www.trinityseattle.org
TH (Town Hall, 1119 – 8th Avenue, Seattle) www.townhallseattle.org
All events are subject to change.