New England Early Music Calendar
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Sunday, May 1

4x4 Bach
Rachel Begley, recorder
When we think about arrangements of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach for recorder quartet, we usually think about his many settings of chorale melodies (which number in the hundreds) and his many instrumental fugues, especially those from the Art of Fugue. This class takes us in a very different yet very satisfying direction. We will raise our recorders in song, this time with four arrangements of particularly sublime movements from four of his choral masterpieces: the St Matthew Passion, the Magnificat, the motet “Jesu meine Freude”, and the Mass in B minor. The arrangements are for SATB and AATB, and in each piece Bach shows off a different compositional technique, giving us an ever richer view of the most consummate of musicians. Play all four sizes of recorder, or just one! FOUR movements from FOUR choral masterpieces in FOUR different styles using FOUR sizes of recorders… The subject of Bach and numerology will have to wait for another day! Geared to: recorders, intermediate and up. Pitch: A=440.
1-2:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ 
Jesse Lepkoff, baroque flute, recorder & Frances Fitch, harpsichord  
The duo will play masterworks of the French, German, Flemish and Italian baroque in music of Bach, Couperin, Leclair, Blavet, Loeillet and others.The performance is in the acoustically stunning and intimate Lindsay Chapel. Both Lepkoff and Fitch are veterans of many prominent early music groups and festivals. The beguiling sonorities of the wooden baroque flute and recorder and the lush warmth of the harpsichord will be sure to enchant. 
3pm - First Church Congregational, 11 Garden St., Cambridge. 
$15.00 at the door or tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.
Information: 802 254 2273
Sing We Enchanted: A Vocal Technique Session with Historical Inspirations for the 21st-Century Singer
Emily Eagen, voice
This is a vocal technique class - with a twist! This Singer’s Toolbox class invites singers to join in an hour-and-a-half of vocal exploration. From the beginning we will be up and singing! Build confidence and versatility as we do exercises for resonance, breath, articulation, and phonation, and stretch our range and stamina. The twist? We will draw inspiration from ideas from 17th- and 18th-century vocal pedagogy as we sing. What imagery, wisdom, and science helped singers use their voices in these centuries? What is "news we can use" today to help us sing? We'll draw from historical ideas of the voice to gain inspiration as we do a full vocal workout, then sing some simple songs from the Renaissance and Early Baroque to try out the ideas. Give your voice a real workout, as we travel back and forth in time while we sing!
3-4:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ ​

Wednesday, May 4

Pilgrims' Progress: Music of the Plimoth Colony Settlers
Seven Times Salt: Karen Burciaga, violin, guitar, voice; Dan Meyers, recorders, flute, percussion, voice; Josh Schreiber, bass viol, voice; Matthew Wright, lute, cittern, voice
The Plimoth colonists, or “Pilgrims” as they were later called, were a diverse group of Separatists and Anglicans, religious zealots and irreverent opportunists. They brought with them music experiences as varied as their reasons for coming to the New World, and the Plimoth Colony heard not just solemn English psalms, but also catches, ballads, and dance tunes. The colonists worked hard and worshipped, and also found time to entertain themselves with singing and games in their new town. This 1-hour program follows the settlers from their homes in England’s cities and countryside to religious refuge in the Netherlands, and onward to their challenging though fulfilling life in Plimoth Colony. You’ll hear music of the Elizabethan tavern and theater, spirited catches by Thomas Ravenscroft, selections from the Dutch ‘t Uitnement Kabinet, stirring psalms from the Ainsworth Psalter and The Whole Booke of Psalmes, and vigorous tunes from The English Dancing Master. You'll also hear fictitious "diary entries" of the colonists read aloud in Original Pronunciation, as English sounded in the time of Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I—and the Pilgrims!
7pm - Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Plymouth, MA and online
FREE; please register to attend. In-person attendance limited to 50; masks required
​www.seventimessalt.com

Saturday, May 7

Reincarnations
The Jameson Singers
Please join the Jameson Singers for an exploration of love, memory, and renewal as we perform stirring music spanning the Renaissance through the twentieth century. Featuring Samuel Barber’s unforgettable choral cycle Reincarnations, our program also includes motets by Claudio Monteverdi, Giacomo Carissimi, and Tomás Luis de Victoria, as well as Alice Parker’s arrangement of Wondrous Love and Nathaniel Dett’s poignant Listen to the Lambs.
8pm - First Church Cambridge, 11 Garden Street Cambridge, MA
$15 - $25 (discounted tickets online!)
http://jamesonsingers.org

Friday, May 13

The Adventures of Esplandián
Seven Times Salt: Camila Parias, soprano; Michael Barrett, tenor, recorders; Karen Burciaga, tenor viol, guitar, harp; Dan Meyers, recorders, flutes, percussion, baritone; Catherine Stein, shawm, recorders, alto; Elizabeth Hardy, dulcian, shawm, recorders; David H. Miller, bass viol; Matthew Wright, vihuela
Seven Times Salt follows the exploits of knight-errant Esplandián with a new program of 16th-century Spanish music. Our story is loosely based on Las Sergas de Esplandián, a Spanish novel of adventure and romance published around 1500 and considered by many to be the inspiration for Cervantes' Don Quixote a century later.The intrepid Esplandián rides off in search of chivalric adventure. Arriving in Turkey, he defends Constantinople, battles giants and witches, and meets the pagan warrior Calafia, Queen of California, along with her army of Amazons and gryphons. We tell his tale of adventure through the music of Flecha, Ortiz, Cabezón, Encina, and Mudarra, and villancicos from the Cancionero del Palacio.
8pm - St. Anne’s in the Fields, 147 Concord Rd. Lincoln, MA and online
$20 suggested donation. Limit of 75, masks+vaccination required. 
​www.seventimessalt.com

Saturday, May 14

Masque up! Ausserlesene Paduanen und Galliarden
Miyo Aoki, recorder
Around the beginning of the 17th century, a fruitful exchange of musical ideas between England and Germany, facilitated in part by composers who traveled between the regions, led to the publication of several volumes of pavane and galliard pairs and other dance music. We will enjoy sumptuous pavanes, lively galliards, and charming masque dances from some of these volumes, by composers such as William Brade, Thomas Simpson, and John Adson. Open to: upper intermediate to advanced recorders (some simplified parts will be available for intermediate players). Pitch: A=440.
1-2:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ 
L’Amorosa Ero: Madrigals from 16th-century Italy
Lisa Terry, instructor
L’Amorosa Ero is a wonderful collection of eighteen 16th-century Italian madrigals for 4 parts, all composed on the same poem "Ero così dicea." The reason for the collection was kind of a competition by a member of the aristocracy in Brescia who wrote the poem, composed one madrigal himself and challenged other composers to do him better. There are a lot of famous names in the collection (Gastoldi, Marenzio, Luzzaschi, Striggio, Merulo). We will spend a little time understanding the meaning of the text so that experiencing each setting (we will explore six of the pieces) will be all the richer. Especially for Intermediate and above; auditors of all levels welcome! Class will be recorded and made available to registrants for one month.
3-4:30pm ET - online; Zoom link will be sent to registrants.
$15 members/$20 nonmembers
​Registration opens soon at https://vdgsne.org/special-topics-classes/  Registration deadline: May 10
La Charmante: The Life and Works of Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre
Kevin Devine, harpsichord
Hailing from a respectable family of musicians and craftsmen, the young Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet’s star burned bright and hot from a young age. At five years old she captured the attention of le Roi soleil and by her adolescence was already in the service of his mistress, the Madame de Montespan. By the beginning of the 18th century, Jacquet de La Guerre would become one of the most sought after teachers and performers in Paris. Though her extant works are relatively few in number, the variety of her oeuvre allows us to explore her style and vision quite thoroughly. Along with learning about her life, we will explore the facets of her writing style through her instrumental and vocal works, illuminating the climate in which she was composing and contextualizing her music as it stands besides her male contemporaries. Jacquet de La Guerre deserves to be hailed as a trailblazer both as a woman who thrived in a challengingly male dominated profession, as well as an artist of the highest caliber whose music and playing captivated and charmed the whole of Paris. Open to all. Keyboard players who would like to demonstrate a piece by de La Guerre should contact Kevin. Pitch: Kevin’s instrument will be at A=415.
3-4:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ ​
Berkshire Bach presents James Bagwell conducting Bach and Vivaldi
On May 14, 4pm, conductor James Bagwell leads soloists, chorus, and orchestra in two beloved choral works—J.S. Bach’s Cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, and Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, RV 589, at the First Congregational Church in Great Barrington. Distinguished Bach scholar Dr. George Stauffer joins Maestro Bagwell to provide commentary about the music. 
4pm - First Congregational Church, 251 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
$30-$60
https://berkshirebach.org/events
Scènes pastorales  
Sarasa: Christina Day Martinson, violin; Jenny Stirling, viola; Timothy Merton, cello; John Feeney, bass; Maggie Cole, fortepiano
Discovering the pastoral worlds of Biber, Hummel, Moscheles, Satie and Schubert  
7:30pm - Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA
$25
https://www.sarasamusic.org/events/scenes-pastorales
The Adventures of Esplandián
Seven Times Salt: Camila Parias, soprano; Michael Barrett, tenor, recorders; Karen Burciaga, tenor viol, guitar, harp; Dan Meyers, recorders, flutes, percussion, baritone; Catherine Stein, shawm, recorders, alto; Elizabeth Hardy, dulcian, shawm, recorders; David H. Miller, bass viol; Matthew Wright, vihuela
Seven Times Salt follows the exploits of knight-errant Esplandián with a new program of 16th-century Spanish music. Our story is loosely based on Las Sergas de Esplandián, a Spanish novel of adventure and romance published around 1500 and considered by many to be the inspiration for Cervantes' Don Quixote a century later.The intrepid Esplandián rides off in search of chivalric adventure. Arriving in Turkey, he defends Constantinople, battles giants and witches, and meets the pagan warrior Calafia, Queen of California, along with her army of Amazons and gryphons. We tell his tale of adventure through the music of Flecha, Ortiz, Cabezón, Encina, and Mudarra, and villancicos from the Cancionero del Palacio.
8pm - Church of the Good Shepherd, 9 Russell Ave. Watertown MA
$20 suggested donation. Limit of 75, masks+vaccination required. 
​www.seventimessalt.com

Sunday, May 15

When in Rome
​Sarah Mead, viola da gamba
If song is a form of refined speech, then language lies at the core of vocal music and the instrumental forms it inspired. When bows take on the role of tongues, they must learn to express themselves in the local idiom. Together we'll explore how to use our bows to "talk like a native" as we play examples of English, Italian, French, and German repertoire with an ear for language. Open to: viols, all sizes and levels. Pitch: A=415.
1-2:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ 
Recital: Seth Warner, Lute & Vihuela
The Community Church of North Orange & Tully presents Seth Warner in an afternoon recital of Renaissance music for the lute and vihuela. This concert will feature music from the entirety of the European continent as well as the British Isles featuring the composers John Dowland, Luys Milan, Francesco da Milano, Luys Narvaez, Anthony Holbourne and many more. Immediately following the concert the Church community will be hosting a welcoming reception with coffee and an assortment of homemade cookies and treats. Ticket proceeds go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in support of the very important work and support they continue to offer for those in need.
3pm - Community Church of North Orange & Tully, 48 Main Street, North Orange, MA 01364
$30
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seth-warner-lute-vihuela-tickets-297296420597
Tips and Tricks: Solutions for the Traverso Player
Immanuel Davis, flute
Musical and technical procedures to improve your tone, intonation, technique and musical clarity. Participants can request that the class looks together at a piece they are working on, or choose from Bach and Handel Sonatas, Telemann Fantasias or Methodical Sonatas; Hotteterre, Boismortier, or any other French repertoire. Please feel free to contact Immanuel Davis with your repertoire suggestions or preferences! Geared to: Baroque flutes, all levels welcome. Pitch: A=415
3-4:30pm EDT - online course (​link sent to registrants)
​$25 per session

https://www.amherstearlymusic.org/online-classes​ ​
Scènes pastorales  
Sarasa: Christina Day Martinson, violin; Jenny Stirling, viola; Timothy Merton, cello; John Feeney, bass; Maggie Cole, fortepiano
Discovering the pastoral worlds of Biber, Hummel, Moscheles, Satie and Schubert  
3:30pm - Follen Community Church, 755 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington MA
$25
https://www.sarasamusic.org/events/scenes-pastorales
The Bach Project at Ashmont Hill Chamber Music
The Bach Project at Ashmont Hill Chamber Music: Andrew Sheranian (director) organ; Frances Fitch, harpsichord; with the boys of the All Saints' Choir
The full choral and orchestral ensemble joins forces in this concert complete with a cantata, a motet, a harpischord concerto, and a major organ work. 
BWV 547: Prelude and Fugue in C major for organ
BWV 225: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied
BWV 1055: Concerto for harpsichord in A major
BWV 165: O heilges Geist- und Wasserbad
4pm - The Parish of All Saints, Ashmont, 209 Ashmont Street, Dorchester, MA 02124
$25/$18 for students
https://www.ahchambermusic.org/concerts

Saturday, May 21

Ars Imperfecta: Pushing the Bounds of Polyphony
Convivium Musicum
Convivium Musicum, Choir for Renaissance Music presents an a capella concert of both famous exemplars of the “ars perfecta”--Josquin and Palestrina chief among them-- alongside others whose efforts sometimes seem to lie outside the mainstream.
8pm - Trinity Lutheran Church, 73 Lancaster Street Worcester, MA 01609
$25
https://convivium.org/concert-season/upcoming-concerts/

Sunday, May 22

Fourth Sundays with Guts: The Classical Era
Guts Baroque (Sylvia Schwartz, baroque violin, & John Ott, baroque cello)
This month we come forward in time to explore both familiar and rarely-heard composers from a little later than our usual! Duets for violin and cello by Mozart, Haydn, and their contemporaries Hoffmeister, Reicha and the Chevalier de St. George, an incredibly accomplished musician (and swordsman) who arguably inspired Mozart.
7pm - Online, donate via Square at https://square.link/u/8unXlgI5 to receive viewing link. Available on-demand following the live premiere.
$20 suggested donation per household
https://gutsbaroque.com or info@gutsbaroque.com

May 27-29

Berkshire Bach at New Year’s Live! in May: The “Brandenburg” Concerti
Berkshire Bach Ensemble with Eugene Drucker
Conductor & Violinist Eugene Drucker directs the Berkshire Bach Ensemble in a presentation of J.S. Bach's Complete "Brandenburg" Concerti dedicated in memoriam to the late Kenneth Cooper, Music Director Emeritus. The Concert will be presented at 3 different times in 3 different venues:
May 27 | 6pm—Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA
May 28 | 3pm—Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY
May 29 | 3pm—Academy of Music, Northampton, MA
$35 & up, depending on venue
https://berkshirebach.org/events

May 27-30

AEM Memorial Day Weekend Workshop
Faculty: Valerie Horst (Director) recorder, early notation, Rachel Begley, recorder, Lawrence Lipnik, viol, recorder, Patricia Petersen, recorder, early notation, Gwyn Roberts recorder, flute
Get a head start on summer with a weekend of chamber music in an idyllic retreat center in rural Connecticut. Take classes in a variety of subjects for most of the day -- repertory, notation, technique, and ensembles. In the evenings enjoy all-workshop group sessions, English country dancing, and more. Wisdom House has ample classroom space, with good light and comfortable chairs. The kitchen prepares delicious meals and can accommodate dietary restrictions with advance notice.
Wisdom House, Litchfield, CT
Tuition $360 / Work Study Tuition $195 / Room & Board additional
Details and Registration

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