Northampton Community College
3835 Green Pond Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18020
United States
Directed by Michael Barrett
Faculty: Michael Barrett, Geoffrey Williams, Emily Eagen, Paul Guttry, Danny Johnson, and Temmo Korisheli
Week 1 of the Amherst Early Music Festival, August 7-14, 2022
The theme of the Ensemble Singing Intensive program will be Musica Transalpina
The Italian madrigal and its offshoots represent one of the most emotionally intense bodies of music for vocal ensemble in the tradition of European polyphony. The 1588 publication of Italian madrigals, re-texted in English and called Musica Transalpina ("music from across the Alps," i.e. from Italy), helped to usher in the late 16th-century English craze for the Italian-style madrigal. This highly influential publication will form the core repertoire for the 2022 edition of the Ensemble Singing Intensive Program.
ESI gives pre-professional and advanced amateur singers the opportunity to work closely with like-minded colleagues and professional coaches to refine their skill set for vocal chamber music performance. Students will participate in daily rehearsals, coachings, discussions, and masterclasses, working towards a performance at week's end. Along the way we will give special attention to the issue of singing in translation (both period and modern), and make connections between the twin "songs" of language and melody.
