1. Steve Normandin (Quebec) specializes in French folk and show tunes, which he plays on a piano accordion (and occasionally sings). His wonderful rhythmic music screams Champs Elysée, transporting us all back in time and place. Steve has a great talent for building a relationship with the audience, and he had us all convinced that this is the most important music of all time.

2. Alexander Sevastian (Belarus and Canada) is also a member of Quartetto Gelato. He has been a three-time winner of the International Accordion Competition. What a "virtuoso"! He played a large button accordion, with about a hundred buttons on each keyboard, over which his hands flew independently. His first piece, J.S. Bach's “Tocccata and Fugue in D minor”, was a knockout, utterly convincing, as though it had been written specifically for accordion. He followed it with an arrangement of a harpsichord sonata by Domenico Scarlatti, also brilliantly sensitive. Of course he played several Russian pieces, of which the most memorable to me was the “Don Rhapsody #1” by Semionov, a fantastically difficult but emotive composition written specifically for accordion.

3. Toeac (Holland). These two young women also played the same large button accordions, and the combined effect was out of this world. They seemed to be both madly in love with their instruments, and produced truly emotional results. Notable in the programme were Tangos by Astor Piazzola, a sensational interpretation of Grieg's “Holberg Suite” (although apparently Grieg didn't like the accordion and likened its sound to that of a stuck pig!), and “The Body of Your Dreams” by J. Ter Veldhuis, a highly original musical interpretation of an American ad for a body-toning machine.

Have I gushed enough? I could say more, but I will just end by saying that some MusicFest events turn out to be unexpected gems (as opposed to the expected gems), and Accordion Day was one of them. If ever any of these performers comes your way again, make a big effort to hear them.

The messages of the texts seemed very descriptive and non-judgemental, with little glorification of death and dying. Sequentia very helpfully provided opera-like sur-titles on a screen, which eliminated the usual noisy page-turning by the audience. The performance was accompanied by flute, cithara (a plucked 4-string violin-like instrument) and a very simple type of harp. If I had to criticize, it would be on the showbiz level. Although the musicology seemed impeccable, some of the sagas went on a bit, and a more diverse instrumentation would have spiced the performance up. (They did play an organistrum -a primitive hurdy-gurdy- but only in one song.) The concert was definitely worth attending though; a unique experience. The audience of about 300, composed of participants in the EMV master classes plus the general public, was very enthusiastic. It is good to know that it is possible to muster 300 people in Vancouver who are deeply appreciative of 8th century music.

A huge highlight of this year’s camp was the closing performance of Carmina Burana with a full orchestra and a chorus of over one hundred.  How it all came together in six days was a wonder, from the huge and complex percussion to the fact that I actually was able to get my lips and tongue to articulate at least some of the Latin and ancient German text at 160 bpm!

The weather this year was pleasantly cool so the dorm rooms were not the saunas they can sometimes be; accommodation is not the best feature of TWU!  The food is plentiful and adequate, though the “scrambled eggs” were the butt of many jokes.

A run down of my daily schedule will give an idea of what’s possible.  My morning shower was sometimes serenaded by a cellist roommate warming up.  Then, toting a bag full of instruments and scores, off to breakfast immediately followed by a mini-concert of, typically, four groups performing up to five minutes of music each.   Anyone is welcome to sign up to present anything and there’s often an element of humour.  This was followed by a quick trek to Freedom Hall for a full choir rehearsal with Lars Kaario.  Lars is a gifted conductor and vocal coach who gives the best vocal warm-up I’ve experienced.  The atmosphere is demanding but optimistic and I’m often surprised by how good we sound – especially when there are seasoned singers on either side helping me find my pitches.

Next I have merely to cross the hall to a classroom for a chamber group of Jan Bearney and myself on recorders and Jim Whittaker on viola da gamba.  Stacy Boal, violist with the Victoria Symphony and recorder player, is a fine coach, leading us through three “Fancies” by Michael East and some symphonies of Purcell.  Phrasing, articulation and ensemble cuing improve daily, leading to a Friday evening performance of East’s 'Stay Yet Awhile.'

After a quick communal snack it’s Early Music with Karen Epp where a mixed group of voices, recorders and other instruments works through a number of possible arrangements of songs by Dowland, Arcadelt and Anon.  Karen was the senior faculty member at this year’s camp and there are many who wouldn’t miss an opportunity to work under her clear, warm pedagogy and deep musicality.  In the session just before lunch, however, I choose to skip Karen’s Intermediate Recorder class because she’s said it will really be a beginner/elementary level and instead rehearse a Telemann Partita for soprano and continuo with a cellist friend for the Saturday mini concert.  Lunch provides another chance to refuel and visit with campers at whatever table has a spare seat.

There’s a mandated quiet hour in residences after lunch. Many people reserve a practice room elsewhere but this year I lie on my bed and do a combination of score study and napping.  Choir sectional rehearsals come next followed for me by advanced recorder with Stacy.  About ten of us spend an hour with Dowland and Hans Martin Linde, settling on preparing a performance of a lovely little Argentinian tango that Stacy has arranged to both challenge and seduce us.  After this session I have a bit of time to find a corner for practice to try to absorb all of the information that I’ve been given.  Camp can be almost over-stimulating if you try to do everything!  Other possible sessions include SATB choir, adult vocal jazz, celtic instrumental, orchestra, orchestra 101, string orchestra, wind orchestra, workshops for flutes, cellos, low brass and all kinds of coached chamber groups.

Evenings there are rehearsals for several large ensembles followed by faculty concerts Tuesday through Thursday.  Count on hearing a number of beautifully performed chamber works.  Many faculty use the concerts to showcase new, unusual or fun pieces.  Everyone is there for the love of music, everyone performs, and everyone I’ve spoken to plans to return.

1. Obviously, first and foremost is the opportunity to develop one’s skills in the instrument you specialize in. This week provided many such opportunities in recorders, viols, voice and percussion instruments, in both solo and group play, and for all levels of experience. The 14-member faculty were among the best in the world for these instruments. Not only do they have virtuosic abilities to make music, but the ones I sampled were all excellent teachers, showing well-placed constructive remarks and encouragement to all students. Indeed I heard no negative or critical comments all week.
2. Second, it is great to have an opportunity to sample other instruments and styles in the early music stable. Two of my choices, beginning viols and madrigal singing, were things I had never done before, and in both cases the teachers had me well and truly hooked by the end of the week, with the intent of pursuing these skills beyond the workshop. Several classes involved mixed consorts of recorders and viols, something many of us rarely experience. The range of options was remarkable including such unusual choices as Brazilian music, Balkan music, music written in 5 beats to the bar, and of course percussion.
3. The third essential is the option for meeting other musicians in a relaxed setting to share music and tips relevant to music (and other aspects of life too). In addition to meeting at meals, we had the option of playing in impromptu groups in the evenings. One memorable experience for me was being able to play pieces with large numbers of parts (the record for me, 16 parts!, was attained at this meeting). Most attendees were from western states or Canadian provinces, but some had traveled a considerable distance to be there.

 

A few of the other memorable experiences for me follow in no particular order.

1. The talented faculty performed twice. The formal concert, which went on for over two hours, contained many memorable items, but I will mention just three. Frances Blaker and Tish Berlin on recorders accompanied by viols performed a wonderfully sensitive rendition of J. S. Bach’s Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God's Time is the very best Time). Written by a very young Bach for a funeral, it provides an amazingly uplifting feeling which one suspects we would all appreciate at a funeral (perhaps even our own!). Another item memorable for me (because I had never heard anything like it) was a performance by Clea Galhano, who specializes in playing Brazilian music on recorders. Luckily her CD was available so I bought one. Third, I had heard much of Seattle’s Peter Siebert, but to hear him conduct his own arrangements of Handel’s Water Music, and several other pieces, was inspiring. The other occasion was one in which the faculty showed off their skills in an unrehearsed “jam session”, which showed tremendous spontaneous energy.
2. One evening there was an organized drum circle. Almost all attended, playing real drums, wastebaskets, spoons and so on. I have to admit that my expectations for this were low, but it turned out to be a remarkable experience. The leader (well-known percussionist Peter Maund) divided the circle into two or three groups each playing rhythmic patterns that he had taught us previously. The effect was unexpected as ripples of new interactive rhythmic patterns fanned out around the circle in ghostly fashion. Drumming seems to reach something very deep within us.
3. As part of the final student concert, Frances Blaker conducted a 43-member recorder and viol orchestra (The “Granda Banda”) in a performance of her own composition “Upwelling”, representing the deep life-generating swells of the ocean. Although simple in construction, it was deeply moving when transformed by her conducting to the huge sound of the Banda.

Since it is within an easy drive or train ride of Vancouver, I highly recommend this well-organized meeting for all. The music is good, the food is good, the people are very nice,  the campus of the University of Puget Sound is very beautiful, the beds are good, and the meeting is well-organized. It might change you life!

Overheard in the interval: "A lovely evening of very good recorder playing," "The standard of play has certainly improved over last year, don't you think?" "Nice variety of music "and "I really enjoyed your concert" were a couple more. 

Later, more accolades:  “I thought the showcase went very well and my husband was very impressed,” and “the playing was …sincere, and sounded very pure.”

Despite the numbers, the evening flowed by harmoniously thanks to efficient organization.  Many thanks also to those who brought food and drink . Clearly a good time was had by all.

There were about 15 of us plus the novice group. Our conductor, Michael Jarvis, hit just the right balance between talking and playing, the pieces were interesting, the conducting very good, the humour was not missing either.  In short, it was a hit. Hope he comes again next year. It also helped that most everything at the Manor was in working order!

Looking forward to the Showcase.

Louise

There was also a session on contemporary music for recorders. In addition to the diversity of eras covered, instrumentation other than recorders was given a large share of the time. There were courses in playing renaissance bagpipes, crumhorns, and viols. 
Each day, a highlight was the Tutti La Banda sessions each led by a different instructor. Again, these were highly diverse, involving the usual material but also jazz and classical music. Two memorable cases were excellent arrangements of Ravel’s Bolero and Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga from the opera Rinaldo. Amazingly, during the Lascia session, eight  people were so moved as to volunteer to sing the operatic libretto (which was available but was not planned to be sung) as part of the performance! The Tutti sessions were enriched by people playing double bass, baritone saxophone and bass dulcian. In most sessions there were four great bass (in C) and one contrabass recorder (in F) playing. All these bass instruments lent amazing power and drive to the Bolero.

The faculty were an accomplished set of American performers and musicologists. Lisette Kielson (Illinois), current president of the American Recorder Society, taught popular sessions on renaissance music and music by J. S. Bach for the recorder. Vicki Boeckman (Seattle) taught various early and contemporary classes. Laura Kuhlman (Illinois, and President-Elect of the ARS) is a specialist in playing early reeds. The Newmans (Gayle and Phil) from Portland, are not only accomplished performers of early music, ragtime and folk music, but also instrument designers and makers. At the faculty concert the Newmans presented music on several unusual early instruments they themselves had made, a tartold (a bass reed instrument with a ceramic body shaped like a dragon), and a duçaine, (a reed instrument resembling a stretched-out shawm, based on an original recovered from the sunken galleon of Henry the 8th, the Mary Rose). They also played some haunting ancient Greek tunes, based on primitive notation in tomb inscriptions, using copies they had made of ancient instruments, the aulos, the lyre and a type of small violin.

One evening session was a primer in renaissance country dancing, with the option of donning period costumes from a collection provided by a member of the PRS, and accompanied by a band of appropriate instruments, led by the Newmans.

The Menucha Center, admirably located on a wooded ridge overlooking the Columbia River, provided a range of accommodations from shared to private suites, and all meals were communal. Days were full, ending with impromptu sessions stretching to midnight.

The Portland Recorder Society has a group of enthusiastic musicians who, although specializing in recorder, are interested in exploring music using a truly eclectic range of instruments. As a case in point, one member alone (although admittedly an extreme case) had on hand several complete sets

of recorders (baroque and renaissance), a set of crummhorns, a set of dulcians, a set of cornamuses, several saxophones, a bass viol, a guitar, and, last but not least, several rackets. The organizing committee, led by Jeanne Lynch, did a superb job, as did all the instructors. This was indeed a rich and enjoyable experience and, as it is an annual affair, is highly recommended for next year (2012 dates March 16-19).


Tony Griffiths

The day began with pieces from the Odhecaton, a musical anthology of 1501, collected by Petrucci in Venice. Many of the pieces chosen had been “re-worked” by Henry 8th, who was a keen recorder player. Alan spent some time on a very interesting comparison of the styles and forms of the originals and the Henry versions. In most cases the originals were complex polyphonic works by accomplished composers, whereas the king’s version was much simpler, shorter and largely homophonic. This may have reflected either the king’s tastes or his talents.

We spent quite a bit of time on stylistic aspects of the music, including alternative fingerings to improve tuning of cadential chords, and we were also provided with a useful list of performance realizations (ornaments) suitable for this period. Some music was in original (mensural) notation, with diamond-shaped notes, strange rest symbols, no bar lines, and unusual clefs. With this we struggled with some degree of success.

The last session was on parallel musical developments in other parts of Europe, focusing on music from the Glogauer Liederbuch. This German anthology published in 1480 was the first ever publication produced with part books. Many of the pieces seemed to have been specifically written as instrumental pieces, rather than adaptations of choral works.

Overall the general feedback from participants was that the workshop was a great success, combining the enjoyment of wonderful music with useful educational aspects that should help improve our play of renaissance music over the long run. Our instructors were well organized and informed, and gave friendly and positive encouragement to all. I thought the general level of play was good, and people were reasonably at home with the complex rhythms and speeds. It was a pleasure to play through a programme that had clearly been well thought out for both entertainment and self-improvement. Congratulations to our teachers for their time and dedication. We hope they will return in the not too distant future.

Tony Griffiths