November 2 & 3 Classes

"Beyond The Drone Zone", with Niccolo Seligmann, vielle. Open to all instruments, all levels.
To engage with medieval monody & chant as an instrumentalist, you have to make choices. But what choices are out there? How does one know which choices suit which repertoires? This class demystifies "arrangement," giving versatile tools to players who are curious about medieval music but daunted by how little information is on the page. We'll put special focus on "accompanying" medieval monody as a means of sharing rich storytelling with modern audiences.  Open to: all instruments, all levels, pitch: A=440Hz

We know that a wide variety of percussion instruments were used in medieval and renaissance music, e.g., drums of all shapes and sizes, bells, cymbals, rattles, etc.  We don't know what the musicians actually played on these instruments. In this class we'll explore how to add percussion to medieval and renaissance European music.  We will examine different approaches and styles in playing monophonic vs. polyphonic music and how percussion can enliven (or, uh, deaden) a piece. Participants may play percussion, a melody instrument, switch from one to the other or just listen!  Those who don't own a drum can use any handy percussion instrument you have at home, such as a pot, pan, cardboard box or wastebasket (preferably empty). Tuning for this class is A=440. NB: This class builds and expands on the concepts presented in Peter's previous AEM classes on "Percussion in Medieval and Renaissance Music”, presented in early 2023. Everyone is welcome. Open to: all. Pitch: A=440 Hz

"Lamentations - Exploring Musical Tributes on the Death Of…", with Annette Bauer, recorder
Composing a musical tribute upon the death of a famous person is a long-standing tradition in music history. Among these, the musical tributes for influential composers, often written by those composers’ students, are especially moving. We will explore several late 14th-early 16th century musical tributes following the deaths of Guillaume de Machaut († 1377), Gilles Binchois († 1460), Johannes Ockeghem († 1497), and Josquin Des Prez († 1521) in four compositions by F. Andrieu, Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin Des Prez, and Nicolas Gombert.  Open to: recorder players, all levels, and other instruments/singers (please note: play-along files are made on recorders, i.e. sound an octave higher than written pitch). Pitch: A= 440 Hz.

Explore villancicos by Juan del Encina (1468-1529/30), who was a master of this popular vocal form based on rustic themes. His works, as found in the  early 16th-century Cancionero de Palacio, feature infectious melodies and rhythms that are a joy to play (and to sing!). This class is geared to viols of low to intermediate level but also open to singers and other instruments who want to explore this repertoire along with us, through custom play-along tracks. Open to: viols, low and intermediate levels, as well as other instruments and singers. Pitch: A=415.