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This was the second concert given by the Vancouver-based recorder group Bergamasca in Point Roberts, an “international” gig.

Concerts are held throughout the year in the Trinity Community Lutheran Church in Point Roberts. The audience contributes donations to a charitable fund sponsored by the church, (this year it was for an emergency generator). Last year there was almost a full house but only half the number this year (the beautiful weather may have been the reason.)

The church is a more than 100 years old, having been originally built by Icelandic settlers in the area. It is a small building holding about sixty people, but for some unknown reason the acoustics in the church are fantastically good, and it is a pleasure to play in because each player can hear every other player and for group performance this is an enormous benefit. Undoubtedly the group play of all amateur recorder players would benefit enormously from such acoustics. The church also has a beautiful original organ with many square wooden pipes.

Bergamasca performed the same basic repertoire that they played earlier in the month at the Nikkei Centre, mainly five and four part works from standard Renaissance composers such as Sweelinck, Arcadelt, Canali, Maschera and Tye. A piece that worked particularly well in the fine acoustic was the five-part Bergamasca by Samuel Scheidt, because the piece is designed for repetition of similar themes across the five parts, and this echoing effect was very effective. The modern chromatic set The Planets’ Feet (Eccles) also resonated well in the room.

Some new additions to the programme were some well-known springtime pieces; Rufty Tufty, Garden Green (Playford) and Month of Maying (Morley). Also a couple of medieval trios (Alle Psallite Cum Laya and A Ma Damme Playsant) played on low instruments (tenor, bass, C-bass) worked well in the church. Another new addition was the Telemann Fantasia Number 1 in C major, a solo played beautifully by Michèle Desponts.

It was an afternoon concert and the weather was sunny and the audience and organizer seemed to have a good time and were appreciative of the performance.
© Tony Griffiths
 
 
What an enjoyable evening!  Watching the sun set over Kitsilano while being serenaded by lovely music from our favourite instruments – recorders. The choice of the Masonic Centre seemed to have been successful as there was plenty of space, the acoustics were quite good, and of course there was – the View! 

The choice of music and the general level of play were good.  The Novice group (they really should find themselves a more interesting name!) got the ball rolling with a very secure rendition of Morley’s La Volta. A new group, the Roundhouse Sparrows, did several pretty duets of which (for me) the most memorable was Satie’s Ogive. The Screaming Susatos started their set with a spirited rendition of a Bergamasca dance. The Jupiter Players were right on with their performance of Dowland’s Mr George Whitehead; His Almand. The Pastime Consort led us into the break with Holborne’s nifty Fairie Round ringing in our ears. 

During the break there were refreshments (thanks to all who provided these), and a silent auction of pre-owned recorders, with proceeds from some of them going directly into the BCRS coffers. Thanks to the bidders – one can never have too many recorders. 

In the second half, just as the heavens were turning red in the west, we were treated (appropriately) to a glorious and moving rendition of Byrd’s Agnus Dei by Childe’s Play. Then Merrie Accord did a convincing job of the rhythmically tricky Vergene Bella by Dufay. Bergamasca took on The Planets’ Feet by modern composer Eccles, a suite dripping with chromatic passages, and reminiscent of a score from a Harry Potter movie. Last up for the evening, Venerdi finished with an unusual sextet for basses, Di Sei Bassi by Ferrabosco the Elder, producing some impressive low-pitched chords. 

Many thanks to all the players who put in the considerable number of rehearsal hours needed to produce a performance. It worked! Well done. Thanks also to Lynne Taylor for organizing such an enjoyable evening with no glitches. 

The grande finale was a tutti rendition of Morley's Now is the Month of Maying, conducted by Lynne. It
sounded very lively and was crisply played -
people had been practising! A nice ending for this Spring season.

All players who enjoyed the evening should consider attending the BCRS workshop Renaissance Splendour on May 29, if they have not already registered.  


Tony Griffiths
 
 
The biannual early music workshop, put on by the Seattle Recorder Society, was held June 12 to 18 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.  The workshop was reasonably large with 75 participants and 14 faculty ably let by Trish Berlin and Frances Blaker.  The participants were mainly from Washington and California with a few from other states and a dozen from B.C. and Alberta.

The accommodations at Ups, university residences, comprising suites, each with 5 single bedrooms with shared bathrooms and a sitting room with fridge and microwave, are reasonably comfortable.  The food, provided by the university food service, was adequate, if basic, with a good selection of different food styles.  The first night, however, we were competing with several hundred high school football players and the cafeteria ran out of some food items.  They did have the problem sorted out and the situation under control by breakfast Monday.

The workshop offered a good assortment of courses for viol, recorder and mixed groups.  There were the usual technique classes and sessions for music of different periods and styles.  There were also classes in ornamentation, composition and percussion and a session for people who like playing in strange rhythms.  For me, the highlight of the workshop was the Collegium session attended by a group of about 30, singers and viol and recorder players.  The class, under the direction of Peter Seibert, performed Palestrina’s Missa Inviolata and a sonata by Giovanni Picchi.  The arrangements, by Peter, were excellent and the instruments and voices produced a superb sound.  Among the recorders were a contrabass in F and a square great bass in C.  The great bass was constructed of half=inch plywood and looked most inelegant but sounded just fine.

As well as the day-time sessions, there were organised events every evening.  The first nigfht, Sunday, was an orientation meeting and mass play-in.  Monday night was Zimmermanns’s Kaffeehaus, and evening of drinking coffee and wine and eating pastries while regaled with an impromptu concert by the faculty.  Tuesday night we had a salmon banquet with wine provided by the workshop.  Wednesday night was English country dancing led by Jo Baine, the workshop administrator.  Thursday evening was the formal faculty concert (rehearsed and excellent).  Friday evening was the Collegium concert followed by a let’s-drink-up-all-the-open-bottles-of-wine party.  The workshop wrapped up Saturday morning with the student concert after which we had lunch and went home.

The workshop was well planned and directed and the faculty were uniformly excellent.  The people were friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed.  The accommodation was reasonable comfortable and the food, although fairly basic, was acceptable and, after Sunday, plentiful.  The cost, $975US, included accommodation and all meals except Wednesday supper.  Tacoma is a very pleasant city and the glass museum was well worth a visit on our free afternoon,  I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and would not hesitate to recommend it.

                                Ron Costanzo
 
 
 
This concert, given by Judith Linsenberg (recorders) and Michael Jarvis (harpsichord), was held on September 7 (Labour Day). The concert was put on
by the Maple Ridge Music Society, in the magnificent living room of the home of BCRS member Josine Eikelenboom. It was attended by more than 60 people, some of which came out from Vancouver.

The evening was a great success on several accounts. First our hosts laid on an attractive buffet before the concert. This allowed the various walks of life attending to mingle and chat over food and drink, a very civilized occasion setting us all up in anticipation of the music.

The performance was excellent. Linsenberg and Jarvis played with good communication and empathy in sonatas by Handel, Bach and Veracini. Jarvis performed an impressive solo piece (a Toccata by Frescobaldi). Linsenberg
did several solos, including her arrangement of a Bach cello suite and a modern piece by American recorder composer Pete Rose. The choice of music
generally was out of the ordinary for recorder concerts. For example the Handel piece was not one of the expected recorder sonatas that we all
struggle with, but an arrangement of a violin sonata. A crowd-pleaser was a crisp rendition of a set of English country dances including Rufty Tufty and Newcastle. 

Linsenberg is a brilliant virtuoso player, excelling in fast and complex pieces, yet still achieving warmth and emotion. Her playing of the country dances on soprano recorder echoing around the big room was a real tour-de-force. The Handel and Bach were played on voice flute, a tenor-sized recorder in the key of D, which had a wonderful rich sound.

All-in-all, we owe many thanks to Josine for putting this on. Her organizational skills and her high-ceilinged living room with its excellent
acoustics and candle-lit chandeliers were all greatly appreciated.

Tony Griffiths
 
First Post! 09/27/2009
 
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