Larger Works for Recorder
It seems to me that we haven't tried many larger works recently, so that is mainly what I want to do on September 8. I have several candidates so far (I don't think we can do them all):
1. Giovanni Sammartini: Sinfonie in F major.
This is a quite a straightforward late baroque piece in three movements for SATB, but Sammartini, well played, can sound brilliant on recorders. (Apparently Sammartini made a big contribution historically to the development of the symphonic form of music.)
2. John Blow: Salvator mundi.
This baroque choral masterpiece arranged for SSATB sounded gorgeous when I played it at a workshop, so with our big group we should be able to make it sound even better. Listen to a small Russian choir sing this on YouTube. Listen for the glorious “crunches”.
(Blow was a friend and contemporary of Purcell.)
3. Osbert Parsley: Spes nostra.
The renaissance composer Parsley was a contemporary of Tallis. This piece, for which several recorder arrangements are available, is based on an antiphon (a choral response to a psalm) sung at matins in Norwich Cathedral. It is quite simple (SATTB) but has wonderful stretched out chords. We'll do this in the second half so novices can be involved if they want.
4. Some shorter pieces too.
There might be another surprise piece if it arrives in time. I think we can make wonderful music out of these pieces. I am looking forward to it.
1. Giovanni Sammartini: Sinfonie in F major.
This is a quite a straightforward late baroque piece in three movements for SATB, but Sammartini, well played, can sound brilliant on recorders. (Apparently Sammartini made a big contribution historically to the development of the symphonic form of music.)
2. John Blow: Salvator mundi.
This baroque choral masterpiece arranged for SSATB sounded gorgeous when I played it at a workshop, so with our big group we should be able to make it sound even better. Listen to a small Russian choir sing this on YouTube. Listen for the glorious “crunches”.
(Blow was a friend and contemporary of Purcell.)
3. Osbert Parsley: Spes nostra.
The renaissance composer Parsley was a contemporary of Tallis. This piece, for which several recorder arrangements are available, is based on an antiphon (a choral response to a psalm) sung at matins in Norwich Cathedral. It is quite simple (SATTB) but has wonderful stretched out chords. We'll do this in the second half so novices can be involved if they want.
4. Some shorter pieces too.
There might be another surprise piece if it arrives in time. I think we can make wonderful music out of these pieces. I am looking forward to it.
