Choral Workshop

Directed by Anna Lenti

July 6-13, 2025

Muhlenberg College
2400 W Chew St
Allentown, PA 18104
United States

Tuition:

$730

Buxtehude, Bach, & Bach

The Choral Workshop will run week two of the Amherst Early Music Festival
July 6-13, 2025

Register here!

The 2025 AEMF theme is Music of German Speaking Lands. Anna Lenti has chosen a program focusing on Bach and his predecessors with lush and enthralling works by Buxthude, J. L. Bach and J. S. Bach, with instrumental accompaniment.

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707): Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, O Herr, BuxWV 41
Johann Ludwig Bach (1677-1731): Unsere trübsal
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Nach dir Herr verlanget mich, BWV 150

The Choral Workshop will perform on Friday, July 11, 7:30 p.m, as part of the Festival Concert Series. Section leaders for the workshop will be Madeline Apple Healey soprano, Nathan Hodgson tenor, Peter Steward bass, Philip Cheah alto, Leah Rosenman, assistant.

Experience the joy of choral singing at the Amherst Early Music Festival. The Choral Workshop gives the serious amateur choral singer an opportunity to learn and perform masterworks of the Renaissance and Baroque, within the context of the largest early music festival in the United States.

A short video of Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731) "Unsere Trübsal":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0VlQ-FRmN4

Come sing with us!

For 2025: TO APPLY: Please send a recording of a vocalization of your choice demonstrating the bottom to top of your vocal range along with a 16 bar excerpt from recent repertoire that you have performed. This can be with or without accompaniment, a solo piece, or your part in a choral work. Send by email to Click here to show mail address along with a short resume of your choral experience, and current choral affiliations. Include last 2-3 years of repertoire, major works, and early music that you have performed. *If you auditioned for Choral Workshop in 2023 or 2024 you do not need to audition again for 2025.

There are many YouTube videos and online information on how to make a voice recording using a mobile phone.
Need help? Give us a call! +1-781-488-3337

New to the Festival? Fear not! Our open and inviting atmosphere will make you feel at home right away.

Faculty

Anna

Lenti **

Voice

Phillip

Cheah **

Voice

Madeline Apple

Healey **

Voice

Nathan

Hodgson **

Peter

Stewart **

Voice

Where

View larger map

Festival FAQs

TRAVEL
Muhlenberg College: 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA
Closest Airport: Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), is approximately 7 miles from the Muhlenberg campus.
Trans-Bridge Lines offers service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC, and Newark Airport to the Allentown Transportation Center, 603 Linden Street, Allentown, PA (2.3 miles from campus)
Greyhound offers service from Philadelphia to the Allentown Transportation Center.

MEALS
The meal card is $280 and covers one week of meals starting with dinner on Sunday, June 29, (July 6 for second week) thru breakfast on Sunday, July 6, (July 13 for second week).
A la carte meal prices are:
Breakfast - $11.12
Lunch - $15.22
Dinner - $22,83.

ROOMS
All standard rooms are air-conditioned. Budget rate housing is not air-conditioned, with hall baths. Basic linens (sheets, pillow, and towels) are included with all housing. Beds are twin, extra long.
Standard rooms with private baths are in Taylor Hall. Standard rooms with hall baths are in Martin Luther Hall, Kitchenette Suite rooms are in South Hall. Budget (non-ac) rooms are in Brown Hall.

Scholarships & Work-Study

Work-Study

All participants are welcome to apply for tuition assistance through AEM's Work-Study program. The work-study application form can be found here. Questions about Work-Study can be sent to Click here to show mail address. Applicants are encouraged to early, and before May 31st.

AEM Scholarships

To apply for all AEM scholarships, including the Washington McClain Scholarship, please fill out the Scholarship application form here. Applications due by May 15.

The Washington McClain Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Baroque oboist and Amherst Early Music faculty member Washington McClain. It will fund scholarships for students who have historically been underrepresented in the early music field, including African-American, Latinx, and others. Awards will cover tuition, room and board, and travel and may be used for any in-person AEM event, particularly the Amherst Early Music Festival.

In addition to scholarships, AEM offers work study tuition to all of our workshops, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. Work study is an option for students of any age.

Other Organizations

American Recorder Society offers scholarships to recorder players for Weekend Workshops as well as Summer Festivals. Any ARS member who needs financial assistance to attend a weekend or week-long workshop may apply for this scholarship. Deadline: May 15.

Lute Society of America scholarships include full tuition, room & board, and some travel. Due Date May 1.

Early Music America offers scholarships to help students attend early music and historical performance workshops in North America. Applications due April 1.

Viola da Gamba Society of America offers Grants-in-Aid to its members to attend Workshops and Masterclasses.

The Historical Keyboard Society of North America has established the Funaro Fund Award to support its members to offset the cost of traveling to an early keyboard event.

COVID-19 Policy

The Festival is a congregate living environment, with a population ranging in age from 1 to 90+ where we live, play music and dance together for several days. Our main approach to preventing Covid will be testing, and, like last year, we need everyone to test and to let us know if they experience symptoms.

Rapid testing is required to attend the Festival for all participants, faculty, and staff. Please take an at-home COVID test the day before arrival at Muhlenberg College, a second test the morning of arrival, and an additional test mid-week on Wednesday morning. Two-week students should also test on Saturday July 5. Bring extra tests in case you develop symptoms during the week. We will have a limited supply available for purchase.

Masking is optional. Masking decisions are personal and will be respected.

Vaccinations and boosters are encouraged but not required. Anyone with symptoms, or feeling unwell should notify us immediately, and not attend any classes or events. Self evaluation: Before coming to the Festival if you are experiencing symptoms that may indicate Covid, regardless of test results, DO NOT COME. Notify us right away.
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID before arrival, please do not come to the Festival until your symptoms abate and you have tested negative twice over two days. f you begin to experience symptoms of COVID while at the Festival we will ask you to isolate or leave campus until your symptoms abate and you have tested negative twice over two days

(Updated June 12, 2025)