April 15 is the deadline for applications for scholarships from Early Music America, the American Recorder Society, and the Viola da Gamba Society of America. These organizations generously fund full or partial workshop tuition. Check the guidelines on each website, and apply now! The web addresses are earlymusic.org, americanrecorder.org, and vdgsa.org.

The Amherst Early Music Festival is excited to announce its viol program for AEM 2013 week II (July 14-21), Early Viols and the Birth of the Consort. Featuring a faculty that includes Mary Springfels (viol and vielle), Shira Kammen (vielle), Liam Byrne, viol (Fretwork, professor of viola da gamba at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama), and Loren Ludwig (viol), this program will focus on ensemble music of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, arguably the earliest repertory of consort music for strings. Classes will be offered

I’ve attended the Amherst Early Music Festival almost every year since 1992, and the workshop has been in existence since the 80’s.  One might wonder how any workshop could continue to offer such a wealth of new opportunities and challenges after so long, but the Amherst Early Music leadership keeps on doing it. This year I had a tough decision to make.

The fourth edition of the AEM publication Music for the Duke of Lerma is now available! Editor Douglas Kirk shares new research on the origins of the part books and includes photos of the church where the music was performed. The books will be on sale at the Music and Instrument Exhibition this weekend, July 14-15, at Blaustein Hall, Connecticut College as well as on this website. The book was out of print for over six months in anticipation of the new edition. We're delighted that it is now out.