Classes October 4 & 5

October 4 is the feast day for St Francis of Assisi, the famous founder of the Franciscan order. In the medieval and early modern periods, a significant amount of music was written for celebrations of his feast day. This class will focus on works dedicated to or referring to him, ranging from thirteenth-century lauda to motets written by composers as far-ranging as Du Fay, Willaert, Palestrina, Porta, and Tollius. Other works reflecting his love of the environment and in particular animals will also be included. All instruments/voices welcome; intermediate and up. Facsimiles available for those wishing to read from original notation. Pitch: A=440 Hz.

Beginning with the teacher modeling a variety of bowing shapes, we will move on to listening to and imitating each other's bowing, experimenting with repeated notes, adjacent notes, and string changes. As a group we will explore the shapes of a variety of texted and non-texted phrases, ending with a group madrigal play-along with the teacher's recording. Open to: viol players, all levels. Pitch: A= 415 Hz.

Composers have always enjoyed musical jokes and rhythmic games - writing compositions back to front and upside down, until your brain is inside out! We will get to understand pieces by composers including Guillame de Machaut, Johannes Ciconia, Josquin Deprez, and more. A fun intellectual exercise, but most importantly, beautiful music. Open to all recorders, or any instrument reading in C. Parts will be a mixture of treble and bass clef. Pitch: A=440Hz.

Agnes Coakley Cox and Nathaniel Cox have been directing their ensemble for 17th-century music, In Stile Moderno, since 2012. In this lecture-demonstration, they will share solo song repertoire from Italy and England, and discuss the most significant elements of performance practice and rehearsal technique that they have discovered and refined as a duo over the years. Topics will include: tactus as a practical tool for setting a tempo, staying together, and finding rhythmic freedom; working with foreign languages and historical pronunciation of English; ornamentation; using facsimiles; considerations for lutenists; and tips for how to communicate to your duo partner. There will also be time for a Q&A.

This is a lecture demo style class, open to all but aimed specifically towards singers and plucked instrumentalists/continuo players. Pitch: A=440.