EMF "A" Classes

Miyo Aoki: "Lieblich gedackt" Advanced
This session is for recorder players with viol players welcome if they are willing to play lower voices.
Keyboard composers from the Renaissance and Baroque often conceived their music in four or more contrapuntal voices, which makes it perfectly suited to playing on a consort of instruments. In this class, you'll become a rank of organ pipes to play transcriptions of keyboard works by composers such as Buxtehude, Frescobaldi, and Sweelinck. Great bass players should be able to read bass clef, and all players should be comfortable with chromaticism and prepared to tackle a few sections with fast passagework.

Mark Davenport: "The Art of the Netherlands: Dufay, Ockeghem and Josquin." (upper intermediate to advanced): Ensemble players in this class will have the opportunity to explore the glorious music by the central figures of the Franco-Flemish School: Guillaume Dufay (ca. 1397-1474); Johannes Ockeghem (ca. 1410-97); and Josquin des Prez (ca. 1450-1521). Participants will be introduced to editions that closely resemble the original manuscripts (individual partbooks in original note values with no bar lines).

James Chaudoir: "Nowell, Noël!" (SATB) This session will focus on a type of music for the Christmas holiday season that, in many cases, has no more than a single word as a title, Nowell (Noël). We will play through music from the robust Nowell of medieval England through the charming organ Noël of the French baroque.
While playing this music, we will focus on stylistic interpretation of each piece and experiment with the use of percussion as accompaniment.
To quote LaNoue Davenport from the preface of his publication Seven Medieval Carols, "It is hoped that these pieces will prove welcome to the musician and teacher searching for fresh and appealing material to supplement the badly over-worked traditional Christmas music."
Be aware that there may be some "tricky" rhythms, particularly in the Medieval English music, and a few "high" notes in parts of the organ Noëls. For those of you looking for something different to play with your home groups during the Holiday season, this is the class for you.

David Lee Echelard: "Bridging the Renaissance and Baroque"
Ludovico Grossi da Viadana: Missa L'Hora Passa & Motets

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This session features the Missa L'Hora Passa ("The Hour Passes"), a four-part parody mass in the "stile antico" (Palestrina style), along with his motets Exsultate Justi and Adoramus Te. The music utilizes homophonic textures and tonal harmonies, representing the transition from the late Renaissance to the early 17th century. Viadana (c. 1560-1627) was a monk and maestro di cappella credited with the first publication of sacred music to include basso continuo (independent bass accompaniment). The session uses recorders and voices to demonstrate "colla parte" (instrumental doubling) performance practice, where instruments play the vocal lines. Participants will use the vowels and consonants of the text to guide articulation, phrasing, and breathing. The session focuses on this accessible composition to ensure a satisfying music-making experience for the group, and also provides altos with practice in the "alto up" register.

All singers, recorders, and any other instruments are welcome. Music will be provided.

Lisette Kielson: ""Recorder Orchestra!" (advanced)
Bring your nino! Bring your greatBs and contras, and everything in between! Bring your nimble tongue and relaxed fingers, your keen ears and steady air!

Selections will be chosen from arrangements of the following:
Debussy's Reverie
Holst's Second Suite for Military Band
Grieg's Elegiac Melodies Nos.1&2
Mendelssohn's Andante (from Symphony No.4)
Glen Miller's Moonlight Serenade

Dale Taylor:"Old Spain in a New World." The musical scene in Spain's New World empire was incredibly rich, bringing the finest in European music of the day to the Americas. Shawm bands played in Santa Fe. The New World's first operas were written in Peru and Mexico. Jannequin and Ureede were performed in missions and cathedrals. And native composers wrote new music which has survived. This class will survey some of the literature, taking the time to work up a few details as we go. Intermediate. Not all music will have parts for soprano, altos may have to read up, and basses are needed.

Laura Kuhlman: "Loud Band" Upper Intermediate/Advanced
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Loud Bands, Alta cappella, Cappella de la Torre, Pifferi...these amazing musicians of double reeds and brass were some of the most sought after musicians of their day. Whether call out the hours, calling to service, funerals, weddings, celebrations of all kinds, these musicians did it all.

We will explore some Elizabethan dance music, beautiful French chansons, windband music from the Netherlands, Mass settings and Italian festival music. A hodgepodge of all that is good for players of crumhorns, shawms, dulcians, sackbut, serpent...double reeds and brass players only.

Erica Rubis: "Bow Poetry: Madrigals of Monteverdi" Intermediate to Advanced
Explore Claudio Monteverdi's harmonic genius and musical expression in his 4 and 5 vv. madrigals ( Books II and III) based on poetry of the infamous Torquato Tasso. Expand your ability to convey the sound, meaning and expression of this exquisite marriage of word and music with your bow. Each class begins with technique exercises pertinent to the madrigals. Possible dips into de Rore, one of Monteverdi's inspirations.

Liza Malamut: "Renaissance Loud Band"

This class is for Renaissance reeds, brass, and cornetto. We will explore Renaissance polyphony by composers such as Rore, Lassus, Victoria, Vivanco, and more. Players should be able to read bass clef and treble clef, including octave treble clef. We will read from modern notation on A440 instruments. Shawms should be prepared to read at pitch (meaning if your instrument sounds up one step, please be prepared to make this adjustment as parts will not be transposed down a step). Players should have intermediate facility on their instrument.

Katherine Shuldiner: "Beginner Viola da Gamba Class"
This is the perfect opportunity to try the Viola da gamba in a relaxed and supportive group environment. Instruments can be provided upon request on a first-come, first-served, basis. No experience necessary to join.

John Mark Rozendaal: "30/60"

Start the day right with thirty minutes of warm-ups and technique, and an hour of consort repertoire. We will start with works of William Byrd: fantasies for three parts, and In nomines for four and five voices. Tune to A440.