2026 Festival Classes Week 2 | Amherst Early Music

Participants who have registered will receive a link to choose their classes. (coming soon!)
Pitch for classes is A=440 unless otherwise noted.

Early Morning Class Period: 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Hands Across the Channel: Playing Early Notation of France and England with Wendy Powers

For recorders, viols, and other soft instruments.

Class Description

Get up close and personal with the sources of the music you love! Playing from 15th- and 16th-century manuscripts and prints provides a direct pathway to understanding and enjoying Renaissance polyphony. One experiences rhythm, pitch, and counterpoint in a new light when barlines don’t interfere, and puzzling through a score is incredibly rewarding and fun. Students should be reasonably familiar with C-clefs and ligatures; a basic understanding of triple notation is helpful, but class will review anything that needs reviewing. We will choose works from English and French sources to suit the size and level of the class.

Sing We Merrily: English Popular Song, with Emily Eagen

For singers.

Class Description

An exploration of the lighter side of English vocal ensemble music from the 16th and 17th centuries, including rounds, catches, ballads, part-songs, and well-known madrigals. We'll dive into repertoire by well-known composers such as Ravenscroft and Purcell, and also explore gems by lesser-known composers and anonymous collections, ranging from the clever to the sentimental to the bawdy. This class is an ideal way to experience the joys of vocal ensemble singing, and will emphasize the basic vocal skills needed to help bring this music to life, such as diction, blending, tuning, and delivery. Perfect for the non-solo singer, avid ensemble singer, and anyone who wants to learn about English popular song and work on their singing while doing so!

Recorder Masterclass with Saskia Coolen

For recorders, audit or perform.

Class Description

Let us know if you plan to perform in class when you register, and list your repertoire if you know it. Repertoire focuses on music from France and England. Special emphasis on music by Philidor, Boismortier, Hotteterre, Couperin, Purcell, Handel, grounds from the Division Flute and Division Violin, Locke, and Simpson.

The Art of Recorder Consort Playing: Turning Notes into Music with Tish Berlin, Teresa Deskur, Patricia Petersen

For all levels of recorder.

Class Description

Have you always wanted to be a more expressive and agile consort player? This class will work on the skills you need to not only be a better player yourself, but to inspire your fellow consort players to turn notes into music! Following the Festival Theme—Cloth of Gold, we'll play consort music by English and French composers from Binchois to Byrd to Boismortier and beyond! Hone important skills like intonation, tone colors, articulation, rhythm, and ensemble precision. We’ll learn how to make decisions about tempo, ornaments, dynamics, and phrasing. Classes will be divided by level and involve lots of playing and hands-on exploration!

Sarah’s Recorder Gym! with Sarah Jeffery

For intermediate to upper intermediate alto recorders.

Class Description

Welcome to the recorder gym, where we will get to grips with all elements of technique in a practical way, that you can take with your for your own day-to-day practice. We will get to know the three main elements of recorder playing: finger agility, expressive articulation, and confident and steady breathing, as well as strategies for effective practice. Finally, we will put our newfound progress in motion through selected ensemble repertoire.

Renaissance Recorder Consort with Héloïse Degrugillier, Teresa Deskur

For players familiar with Renaissance recorder fingerings who own or can borrow Renaissance consort recorders (for example Prescott, Livirghi, Ohanessian). Pitch: A=440.

Class Description

One-on-a-part consort for accomplished players of Renaissance recorders. Blend and ensemble skills emphasized! Repertoire will include but not be limited to the works from French and English Composers. End of the week performance a possibility! For players familiar with Renaissance recorder fingering who own or can borrow Renaissance consort recorders. Players must bring at least two sizes.

French Ornaments for Flute and Recorder, with Na'ama Lion

With Na’ama Lion; for upper intermediate to advanced flutes and recorders. Pitch: A=415

Class Description

Ornamenting in the French style is beautiful and easy. We will explore the language of ornaments in pieces by Hotteterre, Marais, and Couperin, with hands-on exploration of the music and ornamentation tables hand-in-hand. We will use ornaments to make the music come to life and be more fun to play. Flutes and recorders, A=415.

Double Trouble, a Reed Potpourri with Daniel Stillman and Wouter Verschuren

For reed players.

Class Description

Reed players: start your day with a focus on technique and lots of playing. There will be useful tips and reminders on posture, embouchure, sound production, tuning, articulation, and dynamics. In two separate groups, Dan and Wouter will help you give your playing a “tune-up.”

Sackbut, or Getting down to Brass Tacks with Liza Malamut

For cornets and sackbut players.

Class Description

Start your day with brass warm-ups, technique, and wonderful repertory for cornet and sackbut ensemble. Liza will help you play with more ease and get to the next level. Embouchure, articulation, breath control, and much more, as well as satisfying music making.

The Dow Part Books, with Patricia Ann Neely

For Renaissance viols (instruments will be available on loan for players)

Class Description

Robert Dow (1533-88), a master calligrapher, is the scribe for a set of 5 partbooks that have their origins in Oxford around 1581-88. The books represent a wealth of music by Tudor composers, and is sole extant source for some, and includes, as well, copies of works of a few well-known composers from the Continent. Among the composers: William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Robert White, Robert Parsons, Philip van Wilder, Vincenzo Ruffo, and Alfonso Ferrabosco and among the works include Browning, De la Court, Susanne un jour, and La Gamba. The class will explore the collection by reading from the original manuscript in facsimile and playing the works on the Kenneth and LuGene Bé collection of Renaissance viols.

The Dancing Viol, with Cat Slowik

For intermediate viols.

Class Description

Elizabeth I was said to dance as many as six galliards before breakfast! Start your day regally with pavans, galliards, almans, and more, for viol consort. Works by Ferrabosco, Praetorius, Weelkes, Tomkins, and others.

The Gilded Key: Elegance and Ornament in French and English Music, with Kathryn Cok

For harpsichord players.

Class Description

In this class, we will concentrate on the style, technique, and ornamentation of solo harpsichord music from France and the British Isles. We are fortunate to have an amazing variety of solo harpsichord music from these countries, but if you're unsure where to begin, here is a list of composers: François Couperin (1668–1733), Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764), Jean-Henri d'Anglebert (1629–1691), Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729), Jacques Duphly (1715–1789), William Byrd (c. 1540–1623, Henry Purcell (1659–1695), George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), John Bull (1562–1628).

Coffee Break 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Late Morning Class Period: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Field of Gold: Royal Musical Treasures Fit For Kings, with Lawrence Lipnik

Open to all instrumentalists and singers.

Class Description

In 1520 the courts of Henry VIII of England and Francois I of France held an elaborate diplomatic summit in an attempt to seal an alliance between the two nations—no expense was spared at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. The royal retinues included the finest singers and composers of the day to supply music for the sumptuous banquets, dances, and tournaments, as well as a solemn Mass in which the choirs of both kingdoms took turns singing their own native polyphony, the most engaging and sophisticated of the day. Celebrate this extraordinary historical event with works by Compère, Mouton, Taverner, Fairfax, Cornysh, Van Wilder, and others.

Gombert and Lassus with Rotem Gilbert and Wouter Verschuren

For advanced cornetto, sackbut, shawm, and dulcian.

Class Description

Double choir music by international composers Orlande de Lassus and Gombert. The goal will be to make a wonderful, well-blended sound and explore challenging repertoire. There will be two groups; please let us know if you would like to play a quart or quint bass dulcian.

Fantasia Formulas, with Cat Slowik

For Renaissance viols (instruments will be available on loan for players).

Class Description

Dive into the art of division ornaments in the style of Diego Ortiz. Drawing on Ortiz’s seminal Tratado de Glosas, we’ll learn to spot opportunities for cadential flourishes and deploy ornamental formulas ranging from simple to complex, and practice applying these skills in real time. This class is designed for players who are comfortable with consort reading but want to build the confidence to improvise fluently across diverse repertoires.

Clavier Tout Terrain: The All-Terrain Keyboard! With Alissa Duryee

For harpsichordists.

Class Description

During the 18th century, there arose a number of works at the intersection of harpsichord playing, organ playing, and nascent fortepiano playing. Composers such as Michel Corrette and Claude Balbastre in France, and J. C. Bach in England were often highly regarded players of more than one keyboard instrument. They wrote pieces which could be transportable from one instrumental situation to another—sometimes involving other instruments ad libitum. We will explore this music ourselves, on more than one kind of keyboard, exploring the specificities of each. All levels welcome, as well as ad libitum players.

Early Afternoon Class Period: 1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Early Notation with Patricia Petersen

For recorders, viols, and other soft instruments. Students should be reasonably familiar with C-clefs and ligatures.

Class Description

English Country Dance Music, with Shira Kammen

For all instrumentalists.

Class Description

This English Country Dance Music class is for all instrumentalists at 440 interested in playing for dancers. A basic fluency on your instrument is useful. Drawing from such styles as Baroque, Classical, folk, Medieval & Renaissance, we’ll work on melody variations, making harmonies, bass lines, rhythm, and arranging through hands-on exercises, improvisation, and small-group work. Most of the melodies for this dance style are short, and in service of the dance are played many times, so moving beyond the dots is one of the most enjoyable skills to develop.
We’ll also explore historical settings of some of the tunes used for English country dance, from Renaissance Playford tunes to Purcell-era works, classical adaptations, and folk-influenced pieces. The course includes practical issues for real dance settings: working with callers, managing tempo and communication, arranging on the fly, handling sound, and navigating challenges like playing for walkthroughs.

Renaissance Recorders Consort with Saskia Coolen and Teresa Deskur

For players familiar with Renaissance recorder fingering who own or can borrow Renaissance consort recorders (for example Prescott, Livirghi, Ohanessian).

Class Description

One-on-a-part consort for accomplished players of Renaissance recorders. Blend and ensemble skills emphasized! Repertoire will include but not be limited to works from French and English composers. End of the week performance a possibility! For players familiar with Renaissance recorder fingering who own or can borrow Renaissance consort recorders. Players must bring at least two sizes. Pitch: A=440.

Introduction to Contemporary Techniques, with Sarah Jeffery

For upper intermediate to advanced recorders (alto or tenor, plus any other size of recorder you’d like to bring).

Class Description

Fluttertongue, multiphonics, quarter tones, even singing into your recorder! No musical stone is left unturned in this practical class introducing every contemporary technique we can think of. Each session will take two parts: first a hands-on section on how to get to grips with the technique itself, followed by playing examples in the context of a piece. Finally, can we find examples of each “modern” technique… in early music too?

Burgundy the Bold, with Wendy Powers

For intermediate recorders.

Class Description

The period of the Valois dukes of Burgundy (1364-1477), particularly the reign of Duke Philip the Good, saw a rich flowering of polyphonic sacred and secular polyphony (including courtly love songs, New Year songs, and May Day songs) by the composers Binchois, Du Fay, Busnois, Morton, Hayne and others trained in the Burgundian-ruled Flanders and Low Countries. The earliest works based on the song L’homme armé were associated with the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece. Discover some of the best melodic writing ever, supported with intriguing polyphonic experimentation.

A Musical Dialogue: Baroque Music from France and England, with Héloïse Degrugillier

For intermediate to upper-intermediate recorders.

Class Description

Explore the elegance and contrast of Baroque music through works from France and England. This program highlights the refined dance styles of French composers alongside the expressive and vibrant character of English repertoire. With rich harmonies, lively rhythms, and opportunities for musical dialogue between parts, these selections offer both technical challenge and stylistic depth. Music by Lully, Boismortier, Purcell, and others.

Cross-Cultural Trends: English Baroque Music, with Frances Blaker

For upper-intermediate to advanced recorders.

Class Description

17th and 18th century London was awash in composers from different countries. Handel moved from Germany, Notari and Barsanti from Italy, Dieupart and Paisible from France, and they each brought musical ideas with them to create a unique mix of sounds. Purcell and Babel, English natives, absorbed these sounds and contributed their English heritage to the melting pot. In this class we’ll work with movements by each of these composers, providing ourselves with a survey of trends in England during the baroque period.

Renaissance Flute Consort: French Love Songs, English Fantasias with Na'ama Lion

For Renaissance flutes at A=440.

Class Description

The most beautiful songs from 16th-century France, arranged for flutes and published by Attaignant and others, for music making with friends. This music is hauntingly beautiful! We will find the tone quality for each of the voices in our warmups, and also look into using theory and performance practice to enhance our understanding of these pieces. Later in the week we will look into fantasias from the English repertory, by Byrd, Holborne, Daman, and more. For those interested in taking this class both Week I and II, the repertory will be different! All levels, A=440.

A l’arme a l’arme: Music for Alta Capella, with Rotem Gilbert

For shawms.

Class Description

This class focuses on music for alta capella (shawm loud band) from the 14th century A’larme, a l’arme by Grimace in Codex Chantilly in Avignon to Robert Morton’s L’homme armé.

Franco-Flemish Glory with Liza Malamut, Dan Stillman

For upper intermediate to advanced cornets, sackbuts, and dulcians.

Class Description

16th-century motets and chansons scored for mixed loud instruments. Works by Jean Maillard, F. de Lys, Andreas Pevernage, and others. For cornets, sackbuts, dulcians.

What Pleasures Have Great Princes: Viol Consorts at the Jacobean Royal Court, with Larry Lipnik and Patricia Ann Neely

For viols, two class sections.

Class Description

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of John Coprario, one of England’s most prolific and influential composers for viol consort, along with his esteemed colleagues Orlando Gibbons, Thomas Lupo, Alfonso Ferrabosco, William Byrd, and others. Sample the musical tastes of the royal family and courtly circles in the early years of the 17th century.

Notation as Suggestion: An exploration of the French unmeasured prelude, with Kathryn Cok

For harpsichordists.

Class Description

In this class, we will explore French unmeasured preludes by composers such as Louis Couperin (c. 1626–1661), Jean-Henri d'Anglebert (1629–1691), Nicolas Lebègue (1631–1702), Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665–1729), and Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764). Not only will we focus on tips for realizing these beautiful pieces, but we will also try writing one ourselves. Please prepare at least one prelude to present in class.

New London Assembly Presentation Lectures

Open to all.

Class Description

NLA Lectures are open to all. A different speaker and topic will be presented for each lecture. Speakers and topics tba.

Late Afternoon Class Period: 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Introduction to Early Notation, with Patricia Petersen

Open to all.

Class Description

For brave and bold musicians of all stripes—take the plunge, and connect directly with the masters! You’ll absorb as much of this skill as possible in one week, and be rewarded with a better understanding of Renaissance music once you play it as they saw it. Lots of music-making, along with the essential theory: note shapes and rests, C clefs, ligatures, perhaps triple mensuration. Intensive and fun! A passing acquaintance with C clefs is useful but not necessary (you’ll have more fun if you bone up ahead of time). Easier parts for novices, challenges for those with a bit of experience. All instruments and voices.

Renaissance Music Theory with Loren Ludwig

Open to all.

Class Description

Renaissance music theory offers a powerful set of tools to aid performers and scholars in their approaches to polyphonic music. With instruments in hand, we’ll explore some of the key concepts of music theory using Renaissance sources, including Tinctoris, Zarlino, Morley, and others. Over the course of the week, we’ll tackle concepts including solmization and the hexachord, modes, cadences, ornamentation, and imitation, splitting our time between analysis, composition, and music making.

The Greatest Hits of 1520: Music from the Field of the Cloth of Gold, with Carol Marsh

For intermediate soft instruments: recorders, Renaissance flutes, viols, and singers. Singers, please indicate your voice range in the class comment.

Class Description

This famous 18-day event took place in Calais, France to celebrate the signing of a peace treaty between the two young kings Henry VIII of England and François I of France. It was a spectacular affair that included elaborate pageantry and entertainments as well as vast amounts of food and drink, leading one historian to describe it as “the party of a lifetime.” All good parties include music, and athough we have no records of the actual compositions that were performed, both monarchs brought members of their musical establishments, including the English composers Robert Fayrfax, William Cornysh, and John Lloyd; the French court was represented by Jean Mouton and Claudin de Sermisy among others. We will explore both sacred and secular compositions by these composers.

Medieval Music in France & England – A Short Survey, with Daniel Johnson

For singers and instrumentalists, intermediate and up.

Class Description

We will have fun with music from the 11th to the early 15th centuries–both secular and sacred–in this class for singers and instrumentalists, intermediate level and higher. Beautiful and evocative music from the trouvères, the Montpelier Codex, Machaut, Dunstable, and more mostly anonymous pieces from England. Some of the pieces can be quite challenging, of course, but it will still be beaucoup de fun!

Baroque Ensembles

Faculty will be drawn from the following: Cok, Degrugillier, Lion, others tba; for voice, recorder, flute, oboe, bassoon, viol, violin, harpsichord, other.

Class Description

These one-to-a-part Baroque ensembles are for advanced treble and basso continuo players who are musically and technically prepared to explore challenging repertoire. Our first priority will be to provide advanced players with well-matched ensembles. If there are more players of treble instruments than of continuo, one set of treble-line players in a trio sonata class may share a continuo section (and a coach) with another set, or some treble players may receive their second or third choices. Please list clear second and third choices. Indicate pitch: “440” or “415” or “either.”

Vocal Technique: Tips and Tools for the Early Music Singer, with Emily Eagen

For singers of all levels.

Class Description

Singers of all levels are welcome to participate in this daily technique class, where we'll explore resonance, breath, articulation, and phonation, and stretch our range and stamina. We will draw inspiration from ideas from 17th- and 18th-century vocal pedagogy: what imagery, wisdom, and science helped singers use their voices in these centuries? We'll sing solo and multi-part songs from the Renaissance and early Baroque to try out the ideas and enjoy singing together in a small group. Gain new tools and tips for your voice, and leave with a stack of some of the most beautiful songs of the eras, as we travel back in time while we sing!

From Westminster to Versailles: Baroque Opera, with Sarah Jeffery

For upper intermediate SATB recorders.

Class Description

Fantastical tales, raucous dances, and heartbreaking harmonies! We will immerse ourselves in the rich world of Baroque opera from the English Purcell to the French Lully and Rameau, alongside lesser known figures, in a collection of arrangements for SATB recorder ensemble.

Play-Ground! With Saskia Coolen

For intermediate to upper intermediate recorders.

Class Description

The Division Violin (1684) is a much larger collection of grounds and preludes than the Division Flute. We’ll look at how we can adapt the violin pieces to the recorder and have other inspiration for playing grounds!

Love & Lust, with Rotem Gilbert

For upper intermediate to advanced recorders.

Class Description

In this class we will explore topics of forbidden love, lust, and songs about being too young to date (or too old) and everything in between. Featuring music by 15th-century composers Guillaume Dufay, Gilles Binchois, Josquin des Prez, and 16th-century composers Nicolas Gombert and Orlande de Lassus

Musicque de Joye: A Musical Celebration of Joie de Vivre in Renaissance France, with Lawrence Lipnik

For Renaissance viols (instruments available on loan) and Renaissance recorders (players familiar with Renaissance recorder fingering who own or can borrow Renaissance consort recorders, eg. Prescott, Livirghi, Ohanessian).

Class Description

The arts in 16th-century France was a time of modernization, synthesis, and proliferation. In this spirit, bring your Renaissance viols, recorders and other Renaissance instruments to explore emerging musical styles including chansons rustique and Parisian, in published partbooks, as well as ricercars and dances from Jacques Moderne’s Musique de Joye.

Vox Humana with Liza Malamut

For advanced singers, sackbuts, cornetti, and dulcians.

Class Description

Join us as we celebrate combining voices and instruments. How can instruments sound more like voices? How can singers be inspired by instruments? Singers and players will learn colla parte techniques (doubled voices and instruments) and play one-to-a-part on larger pieces.

Dulcian Ensemble with Wouter Verschuren

For upper-intermediate to advanced dulcians.

Class Description

This class will be a great opportunity for players of all sizes of the dulcian family, from soprano to quart and quint bass. The group will especially benefit from Wouter’s research into large dulcians, which were highly prized in the late Renaissance. Repertoire will be chosen based on instruments students are bringing to the Festival.

Basso Continuo in Action: Mini-Bootcamp! With Kevin Devine

Open to harpsichordists with good sightreading skills who are new to or would like to improve their continuo skills.

Class Description

Whether you are an absolute beginner at continuo or know your way around a 6/#4/2 chord, there is something in this class for you. We will explore practical methods for becoming a more fluent reader of figured bass. We will look at manageable passages from your ensemble music and aim to read them fluidly and in time, while also discussing good practice technique, habits, and exercises. The format of this class is that students will spend the first part of each period working with Kevin, then each will go to their assigned Baroque Ensemble class. Kevin will visit those ensembles in turn to help with issues.

Harpsichord for All: Liberté, Fraternité, Inégalité! With Alissa Duryee

For harpsichordists.

Class Description

This class will focus on developing proficiency at the harpsichord. Content will be geared towards the beginning harpsichordist, but is adaptable and beneficial to all profiles including players of other instruments, and players already experienced at the harpsichord. We will discuss techniques for developing a beautiful touch, for managing ornaments, and for practicing polyphony. Strategies for skill development and practicing will be shared, and repertoire recommendations will be made. There will be no question you'll be afraid to ask!

Pan Boum / Bang Boom! WIth Spiff Wiegand

All are welcome.

Class Description

After a long day, cool off by hitting a drum in a relaxed atmosphere. We’ll learn and review frame drum techniques, applying them to dance rhythms of France and England. Bring frame drums with or without jingles (tar, tambourine, riq), as there are a limited number to share. Open to all levels.