SEATTLE RECORDER SOCIETY Recorder Notes

September 2019 Vol. LI, No. 1

www.seattle-recorder.org

From the Music Director (Vicki Boeckman) SRS Meeting Friday, Greetings everyone, September 6, 2019 Welcome back! Hopefully you are all filled with songs, @ 7:30 pm stories and inspiration after the summer's plethora of workshops, concerts and other experiences. I certainly am, and eager to embark on a new season of music No Opening Program playing and collaborating with wonderful colleagues Playing Session: music of and splendid board members. A warm welcome to our Sieg, Gabrieli, Holborne new president Michael Bancroft, president-elect Janice (Vicki Boeckman) Klain, and membership coordinator Ingrid Vrooman. All sizes of recorders Heartfelt recognition and appreciation to Betty Swift for and are welcome. her years of membership service - we will miss you on our team. Huge thanks and boundless gratitude to all our continuing board members, and fearless leaders of the Back Room Gang, Miyo Aoki and Laura Fa- No Back Room Gang ber are also in order. You are the backbones of our organization and your ser- Miyo Aoki will be standing by vices are invaluable. Thank you, one and all! to help if needed however. Be sure to scroll all the way down to read about upcoming events, as well as news from our own “Port Townsend” workshop (at UPS in Tacoma). It was a splendid and unforgettable week. For our playing session on September 6th we will gather everyone together in Content Highlights the large group. There will not be a Back Room Gang for this session, but Miyo Recorder Rodeo Aoki will be standing by to “buddy up” in case anyone needs a bit of extra help. Events Calendar My plan for the evening is to start with some lovely and accessible 4 and 5 part pieces by Sören Sieg, whom many of you had the opportunity to experience ‘up close and personal’ at our PT/Tacoma workshop. Then I’d like to do some dou- ble choir pieces by the Italian master , and, be- cause we were not able to continue our Holborne play date tradition this year, I thought it would be nice to end with some selections of the 1599 collection of , Almaines and Galliards. I promise an enjoyable evening will be had by all. Newsletter Deadline All sizes of recorders and viols welcome. If anyone would like music ahead of for October Issue: time, please send me an email with a request for a specific part. Thursday Looking forward to seeing you all soon. September 19 Local Recorder Happenings 2019/2020 SRS Meetings RECORDER RODEO! Meetings are usually (but not Fun-Filled Family Event - September 21, 1:30 – 3 pm always—see *’d dates below) Meadowbrook Community Center - Multipurpose room held on the first Friday of each 10517 35th Ave NE month at 7:30pm, September Absolutely FREE! to May at Maple Leaf Lutheran Come one, come all! Introduction for kids & their parents/grandparents/aunts/ Church, 10005—32nd NE in uncles/caregivers to explore and learn about the recorder. Concept coordinator Seattle. Linet Henry, members of the Lake City Waites along with SRS and The Meadow- Meetings include ensemble brook Community Center have collaborated to present this fun filled and informa- playing for all levels of record- tive afternoon to generate and foster opportunities for children to play the re- er players, a beginning record- corder. So please help us spread the word – pass along the flyer, grab your niece, er ensemble, and often a short nephew, grandchild, neighbor or any child of any age to join us for an all-inclusive, performance of interest to accessible event about recorders in the community! Events included will be a recorder or players. Center Ring, Petting Zoo, wandering minstrels and a Nickelodeon! A $5 donation is requested for non-members. Seattle Baroque Orchestra: Brandenburg Concertos 2 and 4 September 6 Saturday September 28, 7:30pm, Schneebeck Hall at UPS, Tacoma *October 11 Sunday September 29, 2:30pm, Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle November 1 Soloists: Vicki Boeckman, Carla Moore, Kris Kwapis and Curtis Foster December 6 January 3

February 7 Fall Fipple Flute Forum Faculty Concert March 6 Friday October 4, 7:30 pm April 3 Christ Episcopal Church - 4548 Brooklyn Ave NE *May 8 Suggested donation $25. Join the faculty of the Fall Fipple Flute Forum: Frances Blaker, Letitia Berlin, Vicki Boeckman, Laura Kuhlman, and Miyo Aoki, for an evening of delightful music played on renaissance and baroque recorders. All are welcome – not just work- shop participants!

Refreshments (September)

Following tradition, members of the SRS board will provide refreshments for the first meeting of the season.

A sign-up sheet for future meetings will be available at the September playing session.

Concerts and Events Calendar SRS Board Members (2019/2020) S Saturday, September 21 @ 1:00—3:00 PM: Recorder Rodeo E Fun-Filled Family Event - September 21, 1:30 – 3 pm Music Director: P Meadowbrook Community Center - Multipurpose room Vicki Boeckman (206-985-9916) 10517 35th Ave NE [email protected] T Absolutely FREE! Details Here E Music Director Emeritus: M Sunday, September 29 @ 2:30 PM: SBO Performs Bach Brandenburgs 2 & 4 Peter Seibert (206-329-2774) B Seattle Baroque Orchestra features some of the Northwest’s most esteemed Baroque [email protected] E soloists in two of J. S. Bach’s most well-known works. These concerti grossi are mas- terful examples of balance between groups of soloists and baroque orchestra and Officers: R highlight the work of Carla Moore, Concertmaster and ; Vicki Boeckman, re- President: corder; Curtis Foster, oboe; and Kris Kwapis, . The program also includes a Michael Bancroft (206-523-6668) triple concerto by Telemann, a double concerto by Brescianello, and a concerto gros- [email protected] so by Hassmann. Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall, Seattle. Details Here President-Elect: Friday, October 4 @ 7:30 PM: Fall Fipple Flute Forum Faculty Concert O Janice Klain C Join the faculty of the Fall Fipple Flute Forum: Frances Blaker, Letitia Berlin, [email protected] Vicki Boeckman, Laura Kuhlman, and Miyo Aoki, for an evening of delightful T music played on renaissance and baroque recorders. All are welcome – not O Past President: just workshop participants! Christ Episcopal Church, Seattle. Nancy Gorbman (206-852-4762) B Suggested donation $25. [email protected] E Friday, October 4 @ 7:30 PM: MusicWorks/Underground: Bachtoberfest Newsletter: R Bach’s ability to evoke the whole spectrum of human emotions is often over- Mike Woolf (206-300-6623) shadowed by his sheer contrapuntal genius. Soprano Linda Tsatsanis joins the [email protected] Underground House Band in a celebration of this often-overlooked aspect of Bach’s music, from high-spirited dances to the depths of sorrow. Epiphany Secretary: Parish, Seattle. Details Here Kathleen Arends (425-649-9869) Sunday, October 6 @ 3:00 PM: MusicWorks/Underground: Bachtoberfest [email protected] Same as October 4, except at Resonance at SOMA Towers in Bellevue. Treasurer: Tuesday, October 8 @ 7:00 PM: MusicWorks/Underground: Bachtoberfest Richard Ginnis (206-633-1969) Same as October 4, except at Capitol Cider in Seattle. [email protected] Saturday, October 12 @ 8:00 PM: Byrd Ensemble: Tallis’ Spem in alium Opening their 15 year anniversary season is a program featuring Renaissance * * * * Membership: music for large vocal forces, including 's 40-part Spem in ali- Ingrid Vrooman (573-578-3016) um and Robert Carver's 19-part O bone Jesu. Accompanying these master- [email protected] pieces are some of our favorite from all over Europe, featuring music by Giovanni Gabrieli, , and Alonso Lobo. Refreshments: St. James Cathedral, Seattle. Details Here Maja Eberhardt (206-525-4283) Saturday, October 19 @ 7:30 PM: Gallery Concerts: Crossing the Rhine [email protected] Elisabeth Reed, Viola da Gamba, Tekla Cunningham, violin, Jillon Stoppels Librarian: Dupree, . Despite the fact that France and Germany had more Hanan Bell (206-579-2301) than a few skirmishes through the 17th century, their artistic and cultural tra- [email protected] ditions were inexorably intertwined. This program explores the deep relation- ship between these oft-warring cultures, and discovers that there are more Liaison to Maple Leaf Lutheran: similarities than differences. Works of Schmelzer, Erlebach, Marais, and Elisa- Molly Warner (206-523-5192) beth Jacquet de la Guerre. [email protected] Queen Anne Christian Church, Seattle.Details Here Webmaster: Sunday, October 20 @ 3:00 PM: Gallery Concerts: Crossing the Rhine Charles Coldwell (206-328-8238) Same as above. [email protected] Concerts and Events Calendar—continued

O Saturday, October 26 @ 8:00 PM: Pacific MusicWorks: Eternal Beloved C This timeless story of love, hope, and faith comes to life through the heartrendingly beautiful music of Isabella T Leonarda, the most prolific female composer of the17th century. Countertenor Reginald L. Mobley and sopra- O no Danielle Sampson sing the allegorical roles of Jesus and the Soul in this semi-staged concert production, B accompanied by the Pacific MusicWorks Band. E St. James Cathedral, Seattle. Details Here R Sunday, October 27 @ 2:00 PM: Pacific MusicWorks: Eternal Beloved Same as above, except at Epiphany Parish in Seattle.

Impressions of the 2019 Port Townsend Workshop (photos Bill Stickney, Charles Coldwell, and Jonathan Oddie)

Nina Stern’s and Peter Maund’s Arabic Rhythms

I again had the pleasure of taking this class at the Port Townsend Workshop. Peter is a terrific hand drum teacher - friendly and supportive- and he quickly taught us the essential knowledge to immediately produce playable drum rhythms for non-drummers. Nina shared her immense recorder technical knowledge to get inexperienced recorder players quickly up to speed on playing Arabic music. Both of them collaborated with us to show us how to develop road maps for turning monophonic tunes into interesting sets of music. This is a class for the bold player and novices alike. Challenging and fun. — Kathy Parker

Nina Stern’s French Baroque Master Class Ten performers and one auditor attended Nina’s master class; two trios, one duo, a solo performer with continuo, and a solo performer unaccompanied, presenting works by Boismortier, Hotteterre and Montéclair. Nervous energy abounded, particularly as the week progressed and instruction focused on the dos and don’ts of the French Baroque masters, but Nina was masterful in helping the performers calm the nerves, focus the breath, and refocus on tempo selection and phrasing. Key highlights of the week were introductions and reintroductions of egal/inegal, port de voix, battement, flattement and lourer, strengthened by handouts including symbols and descriptions of the common embellishments of the time Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued) for each composer. Particularly helpful were the demonstrations by Laura and Mike of a piece by Philador and by Nina herself, once asking the class to “pardon her French”. All master class attendees were able to present their selections twice during the week of classes, allowing them to apply new knowledge to enhance the presentation. Any trepidation about a master class with Nina Stern was offset by her expertise, kind suggestions, sense of humor and openness to fully answer all questions. Excellent workshop…if provided again, it is an absolute must! — Chris Zaleski

Alexa Haynes-Pilon’s Fin, Feathers, and Fur class

This class offered a variety of from the late 1500 to early 1600s referring to animals in some way, mostly birds. These bird themed verses inspired a lot of speculation as to hidden meanings. There were bird themed madri- gals from of England, Alfonso Ferrabosco Sr. (an Italian musician at the court of Henry VIII), and a multi-animal themed for Mardi Gras by Italian Andriano Banchieri. Among other pieces we touched on was a 4-part chanson by Clement Janequin whose work preceded the madrigals by several decades. — Chu-Lan Chiong

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Alexa Haynes-Pilon's "English Songs: It Was a Viol Time!" Class We were five in our class, Zoe Tokar, Janet Loy, Vicki Hoffman, Mary Ann Hagan, and Alexa, playing music of Byrd, Parsons, Dowland and Greaves. Alexa had sent us the music well in advance for us to print out and look over. Zoe, playing treble recorder, sang our texts as she played. Our instruments accompanied her. Having the words with our parts made it easy for us to emulate the vocal lines but when we were solely instrumental accompaniment, Alexa gave us cues for playing out when the voice was silent, then falling back so the voice could soar. We had a lovely se- lection of consort songs and it was fun to play with a nicely matched group. Alexa was very energetic throughout even though it was the last period of the day! — Mary Ann Hagen

Ellen Seibert’s Beginner’s Viol class

This module provided a very enjoyable, gentle and useful introduction to playing the viol. The 5 participants started off on bass, tenor and treble viols; but we quickly downsized to everyone on tenor and tre- ble: useful to find out that our backs and necks were no longer bendy enough for the bass before renting or purchas- ing one! We progressed more quickly than we realized and by the end of the week, we had all ‘mastered’ the bow hold, the frets, the first 2– 3 finger positions and we were able to play a couple of tunes. Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Ellen was a gentle and sympathetic teacher, who went at a pace we could all manage. If anyone got upset or frus- trated by their inability to keep going, she slowed things down or changed from bowing to plucking, so that no one got discouraged. I think we all wished we could take up the instrument because it was hugely satisfying to learn something new and to play together and it was wonderful to have a change from playing recorder during the day. Thank you to Ellen for your patience and kindness as well as for sharing your expertise. — Jane Ebel

Vicki Boeckman’s Recorder Technique Class It was a privilege to attend Vicki’s Recorder Technique class this past workshop. We started with learning the importance of breathing and breath support. From there we played long tones and swooping single note tones so as to recognize the tonal difference of either over blowing or under blowing and the im- portance of breath support. We moved on to articu- lation by learning the subtle differences of tongue inflections on syllables, such as ‘ta’, ‘te’, ‘ti’, ‘to’, ’re’, ‘ri’, ‘tu’, ‘do’, ‘da’, ‘du’. To assist with this type of tonguing, we said out loud phrases like, ‘dittle, dittle, dittle, dee’ faster and faster. In addition to all of the verbal exercises, there were appropriate songs that we played to reinforce what we learned and to en- courage the articulation. It was an enjoyable and ed- ucational experience for us all. Thanks Vicki. — Dan Hrehov

David Morris’s “Trionfi” class David titled this class "Trionfi". If you google this word you find out that it refers to 15th century playing cards. If you add the word "music" to your quest you will find a lot of his- tory around the Italian Renaissance period and the music of Lorenzo Medici described as car- nival songs. The music we played in David's class seemed to reflect the gaiety of playing cards and carnivals. David added England to the mix so we went back and forth between Italian and English madrigals reading texts and putting our feelings into our notes reflective of the words and phrases. I'm sure I'm not giving enough credit to the rich background of the music, but with our limited time the best part was just playing it. "Let's have a stroll" through the text is how David would begin. Stumbling over old Italian Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued) and stretching meri -meri- meri- meri- merrily through the English phrases we would discover the inside story and work to display it. It was lovely working with David and all of the students. I thank him for a wonderful week and stroll through that passionate genre. — Susie Keithly

Jonathan Oddie’s Strung With Heavenly Strings: Madrigals, Motets and Anthems of Orlando Gibbons This class was delightful! Jonathan had done a re- markable amount of prepa- ration ahead of time. He selected Gibbons madrigals and anthems for our class of nine players to work on, all in 5 parts. Looking at the instruments we each played, he assigned parts in each piece so that we had a 4-foot and an 8-foot instrument on each part, except for the undoubled top voice. And on top of that, he rotated things around so that most play- ers had a chance to play different parts—so no one was bored! While we were reading through and polishing the pieces we worked on, Jonathan took care to point out structural features, harmonically or melodically interesting things, and to liven things up with tidbits about Gibbons himself (the subject of Oddie's dissertation!). One teaching technique I found very effective was to build up difficult passages one part at a time, so that we could all clearly hear what each part was doing and then what the next part was adding to it. This was definitely more than just "playing through" a piece over and over again. The occasional support as he played harpsichord with the group was also quite helpful. Altogether, I found this class very satisfying. Bringing together several gamba players and recorder players at varying levels (plus the occasional dulcian addition) and coaxing real music-making out of us was quite a creditable accom- plishment! — Susan Richter

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Miyo Aoki’s Mateo Flecha’s Salad Bar Class

Miyo’s Salad Bar class immediately followed the lunch break, but we participants quickly rekindled our appetites as we launched into Mateo Flecha’s 15th century Ensaladas. One might have expected us to grow tired of the same diet every day (we mostly played one piece, with some exploration of another), but quite the opposite unfolded. Typical of other Ensaladas of the day, the story told in each of Flecha’s lengthy pieces unfolds in a comical composition utiliz- ing mixed literary texts, a variety of languages, non-sensical quodlibets (yes, we learned what those are), and differ- ent melodies with frequent rhythm and meter changes. Thanks to Miyo’s openness to her students, her humor, and her flexibility in approaching musical interpretation, navi- gating the tricky parts of the Flecha compositions (and working to convey the different moods and emotions con- veyed in the vocal text in an instrumental performance) was a collaborative effort between Miyo and the students. Mateo Flecha was known as “el Viejo” (the old one) to distinguish him from his younger composer nephew. Since most, if not all, of us in the class were at least twice the age of our illustrious 21st century instructor, some of us thought of Miyo as “la Joven” (the young one)—undoubtedly born after some of us had already begun playing re- corders! Miyo quickly dispelled any doubts we may have had: she is a fine musician and a delightful communicator, respectful of everyone regardless of ability and skill. Her preparation prior to the class (in spite of her role as mother of a young child) and her musical insights during the class contributed to a wonderful learning experience. I will glad- ly register for another of Miyo’s workshops in the future! — Judy Barton

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Sören Sieg’s Classes Taking this class was wonderfully challenging. Sören has such enthusiasm! A couple of things that really impressed me were his attention to detail and the way he was able to guide us toward the expression he wanted for any given phrase. I hope he can be per- suaded to return to the workshop. I’ll sign for his class if he does. — Marylee Lannan

Sören Sieg is bigger than life and larger than any space that he occupies. His energy is contagious. His class on African Land- scapes did not disap- point. The class was presented with selections from his African Suites, including Phaphazela, Celebration, Kinokero, Blue Earth, Ingxunguphalo, Consola- tion and Kinyongo. The range of emotions in the selections was wide, al- lowing the participants to delve into the heart and mind of such a prolific composer through his music. Sören spent a good deal of time explaining where each voice had the melody, often not apparent when looking at a single part. Equal time was spent on making sure that the voices supporting the melody were properly balanced with the soloists. Throughout each rehearsal, he would vocalize parts of the music, often the solo line, to help the remainder of the ensemble “feel” the movement of the phrases, appreciate the brief pauses, and anticipate joyous crescendos. Each participant took away at least two important things…the feel of the beat of Africa and how Sören Sieg is able to proclaim it through enticing music for recorder ensemble. Bravo! — Chris Zaleski

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Adam Gilbert’s Buzzie Technique Class

This was a great class for buzzie technique. Adam had so much information on articulation, phrasing, historical con- text, tuning and blending, rhythm, ensemble playing. I found it challenging and great fun. I love Adam’s zeal for specificity with different decades as far as is concerned. He did a really good job of reiterating infor- mation in a variety of ways if someone in the class was not understanding the material or his request. He kept his sense of humor and directed with passion. Adam was also very flexible. When a piece didn't work out as planned, he switched gears and taught the material a different way. We focused on Buffons and the chord progression of the piece based on the counterpoint of the time period. We were able to break down the structure allowing us to improvise within the chord on any given measure and the piece still worked. It sounded like Buffons! Of course, this is while playing krummhorns, cornamuse, dulcian, chalameau, and ! — Debbie McMeel

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Cléa Galhano’s Contemporary Brazilian Music class Cléa led a group of 7 players through a wide variety of contemporary Brazilian piec- es. Brazil is home to a vibrant recorder com- munity and the music spans a spectacular range of styles. Cléa brought her signature energy and flying fingers to inspire us to add flourishes a and make the music our own. She encouraged us to savor the com- plex interlocking rhythms and soaring solos with a heavy splash of fun. What a great class and a fantastic instructor! — Laura Faber

Charles Coldwell’s English Country Dance Band practice I was in the dance band with Charles Coldwell. I was totally awed by his playing of the tabor and pipe. He was play- ing them together, no less, and seemed so relaxed about it. Thank you for all you do, Charles. — Ingrid Vrooman

Charles Coldwell’s Songs from Shakespeare’s Plays class Charles led us in his harmonious recorder arrangements of songs from some of Shakespeare’s later plays and a song from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. Charles explained the role of the songs in their plays; with a few that were presented just for entertainment, between acts or afterward; and most that we played that were built into their scenes. We read the dialogue that showed how the songs related to the characters and the plot, including many musical references and jokes. Charles conveyed the scholarship on how sure we are of who wrote the songs and which version was actually performed in Shakespeare’s day. Charles brought out the best in our hard-working group in ren- dering these lovely songs. He helped us bring out the flavor and function of each song in its play. The class was a memorable pleasure. — Michael Bancroft

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Mary Springfels’s The thrill of the chace; Canonic music from fourteenth and fifteenth Century France

I am sure that none of us in Mary’s class knew what we were in for in “The Thrill of the Chace”. We spent most of our time working on Machaut’s “Lay of the Fountain” cycle of canons. The rhythms had to be precisely on time in order for the three-part canons to work, which was extraordinarily challenging, especially as playing bass or tenor in the upper treble clef added to the complexity for me. Needless to say, under Mary’s careful and patient tutelage, we managed to struggle our way through Chaces 2, 4, and 6 and finally become reasonably coordinated by the end of the week. A real highlight was working on the Sanctus for performance at the student concert on Saturday. It is al- ways a unique and fun experience to have a week of classes with Mary Springfels — she is terrific! — Bill Warren

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Sarah Mead’s Voices, Viols and Recorders That Sing

Sarah Mead brought her musical knowledge, admirable skills in leading a disparate group of musicians as well as her good humor to this class. We sang and played beautiful and complex music by Orlando di Lasso (a.k.a. Orlandus Las- sus, Roland de Lassus or Orlande) in one part as a round and from old notation, as well as pieces in six, five, four and three parts. Each part had singers with viol and recorder accompaniment to make a rich and lovely sound. The repertoire was sometimes serious: In hora ultima explicitly stated that "In the last hour, all shall perish." Some- times it extolled other pleasures: Ave color vini clari praised the virtues of wine -- and singers and instruments made it glorious. Many of you heard us sing Beau le cristal on Saturday morning, a hymn about the beauty of jewels and precious metals, but which reserved its highest praise for peace. Festur in convivius was written with its text mostly in 'neuter Latin,' an inside joke about the not-so-good lives of minor clerics, with its praise of wine, drinkers and tav- erns. David Morris introduced each section by reading the translation with great flair. Thanks, David! This is a wonderful repertoire and I thank Sarah for introducing it to us, as well as helping us understand it, so we could play and sing it as well as possible in the time we had. I think she got the best out of us, too. Bravi, tutti! — Carolyn Wallace

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Peter Seibert’s Recorder Orchestra

A total of 32 recorder and baroque bassoon players were treated to Peter Seibert’s masterful conducting of several orchestra pieces he arranged for recorder orchestra between 2001 and 2019, including a Bach chorale, Terpsichore Fantasia, Mozart’s Symphony No. 29 (K. 201), and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (Opus 90). Each rehearsal began with the Bach Chorale, 8 measures of brilliance used to hone the skills of watching the conduc- tor, listening to your neighbor and the other three voices, particularly those with moving parts, breathing, and focus- ing on phrasing rather than playing note by note. The Terpsichore was wonderfully arranged for recorder orchestra, but presented a challenge when played up to tempo, with all sections playing the theme. The Mendelssohn Symphony was well known to many lovers of classical music, and what a joy it was to play in a re- corder orchestra. The melody floated above the orchestra during the introduction and in the development sections, followed by brief interlude, then a repeat of the first part of the symphony. Peter focused on phrasing, encouraging members to exactly replicate certain articulation patterns from sopranino to great bass…it was very rewarding when executed perfectly. The Mozart Symphony was glorious. Parts were so well-balanced that the symphony almost played itself. Peter’s expertise was putting the subtle but essential finishing touches on the piece. It was presented in full at the Student Recital, with full confidence in the conductor and a sense of true accomplishment by each player. — Chris Zaleski Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)

Port Townsend Early Music Workshop Impressions (continued)