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TRANSCRIPT
SEATTLE RECORDER SOCIETY
December 2013 Vol. XLV, No. 3
Recorder Notes
About the Opening Program . . .
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Rockin’ Recorders’ Final Act (Reprinted with permission from Music Center of the Northwest)
As we continue our celebration of Music Center’s 25th anniversary, we would like to honor the Rockin’ Recorders, which has been a beloved part of our community for several years.
We sat down with recorder instructor Vicki Boeckman, who gave
some background on the group: “I began teaching here at Music Center in 2005, and started Rockin’ Recorders in 2007. Sally Mitchell and I joined
SRS MEETING
Friday, December 6th, 2013
@ 7:30 p.m.
Opening Program
Rockin’ Recorders Music of Bach, Handel, Ruffo,
and more
Playing Session (Peter Seibert)
Musical traditions of the season
Backroom Gang (Sally Mitchell)
Music provided
From the Music Director . . . (Peter Seibert)
The playing session for December will represent music from several musical traditions associated with the month. Karen Berliner has provided me with two Hanukah works that I have arranged for recorder ensemble, “Hanukah Lights” and “Hanerot Halaluh.” I have also arranged the “Pifa” (sometimes called “The Pastoral Symphony”) from Handel’s Messiah, the only purely instrumental work other than the overture in this well-‐loved work. Depending on time and available resources, we will play Palestrina’s 8-‐part “Hodie Christus natus est” and/or Hassler’s “Angelus ad pastores ait.” And, as usual at our December meetings, we will close with a “seasonal bon-‐bon” that is so well known that I will not mention its name here!
Two personal notes: 1) On October 25, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra gave a reprise performance of a movement from my “Suite for String Orchestra,” 2) A new book, Contemporary Orchestration, A Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians, will be published next year. The author, R. J. Miller, asked for my permission to publish a movement from a suite by Pezel that was first published in 1974. I gave my permission but also sent a page from my arrangement of Handel’s “Water Music,” which he was happy to receive and which will also be included in the text. The book is intended for professionals and students of orchestration.
2013/2014 SRS Meetings
Meetings are usually held on the first Friday of each month, October to May, at 7:30 p.m., Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, 10005 32nd NE, Seattle. Meetings
include a short performance or lecture of interest to recorder and viol players, ensemble
playing for all levels of recorder players, and a beginning
recorder ensemble. A $5.00 donation is requested for non-‐members.
October 4, 2013
November 1, 2013 December 6, 2013
January 3, 2014 February 7, 2014
March 7, 2014 April 4, 2014 May 2, 2014
Refreshments (December)
Cookies Chu-‐Lan Chiong Ruth Pattison
Fruit Betty Swift
Veggies David Maughan
Thank you for volunteering!
Board Meeting
** Reminder **
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014 7:30 p.m.
Ellis’ house
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forces to form an ensemble for our combined studios. At that time, there were seven students in the group, ranging in age from 6 to 13. I lived in Denmark for 23 years, where there are music schools in every community. The recorder has a huge presence and there are recorder groups in practically every city for kids of all ages. My biggest disappointment in moving back to the States was discovering that there are not more children playing recorder past 3rd or 4th grade! I started Rockin’ Recorders because I missed having a kids’ group. I came up with the name Rockin’ Recorders to have a catchy title for advertising purposes that had kid-‐appeal. The members have now all grown up and will soon graduate high school, but the name has stuck.”
The current Rockin’ Recorders members, Katie Faber, 17, Isabella
Pagel, 16, and Carolyn Lober, 15, all started on recorder here at Music Center. Carolyn started at age 6 with her twin sister, Julia (who now studies violin with Janice Gockel), Katie started at age 8, and Isabella started at age 9. Carolyn has also been playing clarinet for five years and currently plays at Lakeside Academy, where she is in the 9th grade. Isabella’s band teacher at Eckstein Middle School let her play recorder in the Wind Ensemble and the Junior Band; she now attends Nova High School. “Recorder has not only helped me musically, but I have also gained confidence, friendship, leadership and time management skills,” says Isabella. “Every day when I come home I look forward to practicing even if it means repeating the same passage over and over.”
The group has undergone changes over the years, but the three
current members all met each other in the ensemble and have been playing together for seven years. The girls all have birthdays in September and have become close friends. “At first there were a lot of us, then our numbers dwindled, slowly but surely, down to us three. It has been a ton of fun, and I have loved every minute of it. Isabella, Katie, and I (and Vicki) have become really good friends throughout the years,” says group member Carolyn Lober. Isabella Pagel emphasizes this point. “Vicki, Katie, Carolyn and I have become a family and I know that no matter what happens we will always be there for each other,” she says.
“It has been a real joy to be their teacher and watch them develop
musically and socially from children into mature young women,” says Vicki. “They are playing at a very high level now. This year they’re really looking forward to performing as much as possible and honing their skills as an ensemble. I think the workshop this past summer really made an impression
Rockin’ Recorders (continued)
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and they’re playing some really neat stuff. They love all styles – Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Modern, too. The girls care a lot for each other and they hang out with each other outside of the ensemble. The recorder is a very social instrument, so anywhere they go in life they’ll be able to find a workshop or a chapter meeting of the American Recorder Society. There are so many adults that play recorder now – it’s really a wonderful opportunity. They’ll probably play all their lives.”
At Music Center, the Rockin’ Recorders recently performed with
Vicki Boeckman at Music in the Moonlight, they performed on the Honors Recital as a trio, played at last year’s Holiday Gala, and have performed at For the Love of Music several times. They have also done community outreach concerts at several retirement homes including Skyline, Horizon House, and University House and they’ve busked at the Northwest Folklife Festival. This past summer, they participated in a week-‐long workshop together at the Port Townsend Early Music Workshop. Besides a 13-‐year-‐old from St. Paul, they were the youngest contingent there among the 102 participants, and made a big impression on people. Their next performance will be for the opening performance of the Seattle Recorder Society on December 6th. The Rockin’ Recorders trio will play music by Vincenzo Ruffo, a traditional Balkan piece, a transcription of a Handel harpsichord suite, and a movement from a Bach flute sonata.
Sadly, Rockin’ Recorders is in its final year together. Katie will be
going to college out of state, and Isabella is applying for international school in Mexico. “They’re really going to miss each other, and I’m going to miss them tremendously,” says Vicki, but she is convinced the girls will remain lifelong friends. “Of course I hope to continue the tradition of a recorder ensemble for kids at Music Center, but it will take a while to build it back up to this level.”
We are very sad to see the Rockin’ Recorders disband, but we
are proud of their individual and collaborative accomplishments. Congratulations and best wishes from all of us at Music Center, Katie, Isabella, and Carolyn!
Recorder Classes (from Laura Faber)
Beginners
Tuesdays -‐ 6:30 to 7:30 pm
Beginners Thursdays -‐ 10:30-‐11:30 am
Advanced Beginner/Lower Intermediate Ensemble Tuesdays -‐ 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Advanced Beginner/Lower Intermediate Ensemble
Thursdays -‐ 11:30 am to 1 pm
Intermediate Ensemble Tuesdays – 1:00 to 2:30 pm
* * * Class Descriptions
Beginners (SAT)
Anyone in their first year of playing
Adv. Beginner/ Lower
Intermediate Ensemble (SATB) Comfortable with all common
fingerings and rhythms
Intermediate (SATBGB) Playing both F and C
instruments, counting halves, reading from parts
People who are interested
should contact me by email at [email protected]
or by calling (206) 619-‐0671.
SRS Library (a membership benefit)
Browse or borrow from our “library” collection
at monthly SRS meetings.
Rockin’ Recorders (continued)
A Weekend Workshop with Joan Griffith (Kathleen Arends)
The second weekend of November, Vicki Boeckman hosted Joan Griffith for a weekend of Brazilian music and improvisation. Joan teaches jazz improvisation, guitar, bass, and mandolin at the University of St. Thomas and Macalester College in Minnesota. She plays guitar, bass, and mandolin professionally – what a pleasure it was hearing her accompany us on guitar! – and knows her way around recorders as well; and as many know from the recent Port Townsend workshop, she is an excellent teacher. We who attended this weekend were treated to lots of relevant music theory and fascinating music history; and in between, we played some challenging, riotously entertaining music. Most of all, we were delighted to find ourselves successfully improvising, in increasingly demanding musical situations.
We began with a choro (“shore-‐oh”) to learn and practice the correct
articulation for the style. Then we tackled a baiaõ (a dance), originally for three guitars, the accompaniment for which used only two different chords. We used a “lydian dominant” scale/mode/set of notes to improvise over the main chord. This was our easiest improvisation, because the harmonization beneath us didn't change.
We then played Miles Davis' landmark modal jazz composition,
“Flamenco Sketches.” This involved improvising on five scales in succession: D major, B-‐flat mixolydian, C major, E phrygian, and finally A dorian. The changes were slow; our focus was on ways of moving the melody from one set of notes to the next, and the effect each way created. While each of us improvised a solo at least once in the weekend, we also enjoyed the freedom of trying out our ideas all at the same time!
Later we improvised on a bossa nova, on Davis’ “All Blues,” and
finally, on Gershwin's “Summertime.” Now the chord changes were faster, and our melodies were taken from the chords themselves and/or the appropriate 6-‐note “blues scale.” Writing about this does not begin to convey the enjoyment or accomplishment we felt!
Joan's personal experiences and her insights into the history and development of everything we played were fascinating. She described American music as a result of the collision between African and European musical sensibilities. Also mentioned were Argentinean tango, polka, ragtime, slash chords, Django Reinhardt and “playing the pump” in France, back-‐phrasing and front-‐phrasing, pivots, and target notes, among other engrossing topics. And of course we enjoyed playing “Brasileirinho,” “Vou Vivendo,” and “Tico Tico.”
SRS Members on Stage!
(Look here for upcoming concerts of SRS members)
Maple Forest Duo (Nancy Gorbman and Toni Ameslav, recorders, with invited cellist Karen Fardal) presents “Festive Music of the Renaissance and Baroque.”
Lake Forest Park Library @ Lake Forest Park Town Center Sat., Dec. 14, 2 -‐ 3 pm
* * * *
Acoustic Cadence www.acousticcadence.com (Tomo Morita, recorder, Bryn Cannon, violin/viola, & George Myers, guitar) has 3 upcoming concerts:
Redmond Lights – Along the Redmond Central Connector www.redmondlights.com Sat., Dec. 7, 4:45 – 6:45 pm
Cole Gallery, Edmonds Thurs., Dec. 19 Art Walk 5:30 – 8:00 pm
Alexa’s Café, Bothell Sat., Jan. 4, 7 – 9 pm
* * * *
The Woodland Consort (Ellis Hillinger, Susan Burris, and Susie Keithly, recorders)
Phinney Center Winter Festival and Crafts Fair (in the lower brick building) Sat., Dec. 7, noon
Meeting Notes: November 1, 2013 (Nancy Gorbman)
Opening Program: Charles Coldwell
Charles Coldwell is an active member of the local early music community: recently he directed music for Seattle Early Dance; he has taught recorder classes at workshops and performed at the Seattle Folklife Festival; and he will perform in an upcoming concert in the EMG’s “Early Music Fridays” series. An inspiration for this solo recorder music performance, as Charles described it, came from a collection of “spontaneous” concerts he gave (similar to busking, but no passing the hat) last summer in the water tower at Seattle’s Volunteer Park. By taking the tower music to the basement for this program, although the elevation and acoustics were changed, the loftiness and loveliness of the music were wonderfully preserved. He played: * “The Leather Haughts of Yarrow” – A Scottish traditional song tune with variations by William McGibbon or Charles McLean, from the McGibbon MS. William McGibbon was a noted 18th-‐century Scottish violinist who also published variations on Scottish tunes for the violin or transverse flute. * “Trotto” – Anonymous, 14th-‐century Italian * “Pavane de Spaigne” – Charles’ compilation of 17th-‐century variations on this popular dance tune by Pierre-‐Francisque Caroubel (1556-‐1611 or 1615) from Michael Praetorius, Terpisichore Musarum, 1612; Pieter de Vois (c.1580/81-‐1654) (like van Eyck, a blind Dutch musician who played violin and organ and possibly recorder), from Der Goden Fluit-‐hemel, 1644; and an anonymous 17th-‐century keyboard manuscript. * “Bravade” – Jacob van Eyck (c.1590-‐1657) from Der Fluyten Lust-‐hof (1649) (variations on the English country dance tune “Argeers” or “The Wedding Night”). * “Gallow Shiels” (“Gallowshiels” or “Galla Shiels”) – A Scottish traditional song tune with variations by William McGibbon or Charles McLean, from the McGibbon MS. Galashiels is one of the Scottish Borders’ premier towns. * “John Come Kiss (Me Now)” – Divisions by Mr. David Mell, from Division Violin, published by John Playford, London, 1684. Division Violin was the primary source for the majority of divisions (transposed for the recorder) found in Division Flute, published by Walsh in 1706-‐08. Mell’s variations on “John Come Kiss Me Now” did not appear in Division Flute. * “2. Courant, of Harte diefje waerom zoo still” – Jacob van Eyck from Der Fluyten Lust-‐hof (1649). The original tune by John Dowland is the song “Now, O Now I Needs Must Part,” also known as the Frog Galliard. * “Den Nachtegael” – “The Nightingale” –Jacob van Eyck from Der Fluyten Lust-‐hof (1649). This was the most birdlike of the pieces.
SRS Board Members (2013/2014)
Music Director: Peter Seibert (206-‐329-‐2774) [email protected]
Officers:
President: Ellis Hillinger (206-‐547-‐0718) [email protected]
President-‐Elect: Kathleen Arends (425-‐649-‐9869) [email protected]
Past President: Katie Sprugel [email protected]
Secretary: Molly Warner (206-‐523-‐5192) [email protected]
Treasurer: Richard Ginnis (206-‐633-‐1969) [email protected]
* * * * Membership: Jill Shupe (206-‐364-‐7509) [email protected] Newsletter: Karen Berliner (206-‐550-‐3384) [email protected]
Refreshments: Evelyn Lester (206-‐726-‐9257)
Viol Representative: Ellen Seibert (206-‐329-‐2774) [email protected]
Webmaster: Charles Coldwell (206-‐328-‐8238) [email protected]
Ex-‐Officio Member: Vicki Boeckman (206-‐985-‐9916) [email protected] Members-‐At-‐Large: Hanan Bell (206-‐695-‐2276) [email protected] Betty Swift (206-‐323-‐3879) [email protected] Carolyn Wallace (206-‐782-‐6898) [email protected] “Recorder Notes” is published monthly, October through May, for its members by the Seattle Recorder Society. 4554 -‐ 4th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105. $35 Annual Membership Dues. www.seattle-‐recorder.org
Meeting Notes: November 1, 2013 (continued) Playing Session: From the smaller group led by Sally Mitchell, Sally writes: The Beginners Group, henceforth to be called the Backroom Gang, included eight players and one observer. As in October, the forces included SATB – this is the new norm for this group. We warmed up by reviewing pieces worked on in October: “So trinken wir alle” (a lusty, straight-‐forward drinking song) by Ludwig Senfl and “Anima mea Dominum,” the first section of a Magnificat Primi Toni by Francisco Guerrero. The main focus for the evening was the “Gloria Patri,” the sixth and final section of the same Guerrero Magnificat.The group sight-‐read straight through the piece; it was rocky, but there were no true train wrecks. We worked on it section by section (working from the end towards the beginning) and by the end of the evening the piece was sounding great! These players are progressing steadily, and deserve not to be called “beginners” anymore! The rest of us stayed in the main room and were led by Peter Seibert with music for recorders, and viols also joined in. The arrangement of music by Heinrich Isaac had French, Italian, and German titles and was taken from an edition published in Austria of composers in Southern Germany to the east (late 15th/early 16th centuries). This Netherlandish composer was in demand all over Europe and was hired to play music in various countries. Contemporaries of Isaac include Josquin de Pres and Obrecht. We began with the French “Chanson.” “What do we notice about this piece?” asked Peter. Points of imitation are the primary aspect of the Netherlandish style, which we saw throughout the piece. “Repeated pitches detach and don’t forget ‘good beats and bad beats,’” Peter reminded us. For example, the 3rd beat note is played short if it is before a tied note on beat 4. The opening phrase was drum-‐like with a whole note, half note, half note, etc., which repeated. During his Italian period, Isaac was hired by the Florentine court and associated with the Medicis. The Medicis liked carnival songs; the music had a lot of interplay of melodies going back and forth and included well-‐known tunes of the day. This led to the next piece we played entitled “Donna, di dentro/Dammene/Fortuna.” “Nice and crisp when you have Dammene,” commented Peter. “There are only about 50 Renaissance rhythms – once you learn them, you can plug them in.” The next piece had a Latin title, “Quis dabit pacem populo timenti?” A lament on the death of Lorenzo Medici, this was originally a vocal piece. According to Peter, Isaac had set two different laments (the other is well known), but this one was easier for a recorder arrangement. This motet has a block chordal style, which is its thread of continuity. The words are, of course, sad. The last line of text is, “Wretchedness, we pray for peace on all sides.” This piece is different from most of Isaac’s music. Moving on, the next piece, “Mich wunderthart,” was composed during Isaac’s German period where he was hired by the court of Innsbruck. In this piece, the melody is in the tenor part with the cantus firmus – the original chant melody – and based on a tune from the late 14th to early 15th century. “In this piece, he takes a very square German melody and makes something beautiful out of it,” Peter commented. Peter mentioned that Isaac was chameleon-‐like in that when working in various countries he developed the style of that particular country. We played another German piece, “In meinem sinn,” where the melody began with the basses and then moved around to different parts; at one point a canon occurred in the altos and basses. This instrumental piece had rhythmic excitement. Peter commented, “The two important features of recorder playing which Charles demonstrated beautifully (in his concert program earlier in the evening) are these: “Fill the instrument with sound and play rhythmically crisply.”
Thank you, Peter, for a delightful arrangement of pieces by Isaac, interesting historical facts, and guidance on technique.
American Recorder Society Elections
Elections for positions on the ARS Board are coming up in the spring of 2014.
Nancy Gorbman of SRS is a candidate.
American Recorder Society www.americanrecorder.org
Laura Faber is the SRS Representative to the ARS. You can reach Laura at: [email protected]
or (206) 619-‐0671
Sat., Nov. 30 @ 7:30 pm and Sun., Dec. 1 @ 3 pm: Gallery Concerts presents “A Baroque Christmas with Ellen Hargis.” Queen Anne Christian Church, 1316 – 3rd Ave. W, Seattle. www.galleryconcerts.org Sat., Nov. 30 @ 7:30 pm (at TPC) and Sun., Dec. 1 @ 3 pm (at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Seattle): Byrd Ensemble presents “Christmas Program” featuring the Parnassus Project. Thurs., Dec. 5 @ 7:30 pm: Anonymous 4 presents “A Virgin Unspotted – Medieval and Traditional Christmas Songs for Mary.” Our Lady of Fatima, 3218 W Barrett St., Seattle. www.olfatima.org/music Fri., Dec. 6 @ 7:30 pm: Seattle Recorder Society Meeting @ Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Seattle. Fri., Dec. 6 @ 8 pm: Tudor Choir presents “My Dancing Day: Advent Carols and Motets.” Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 9th Ave. NE, Seattle. www.tudorchoir.org Sat., Dec. 7 @ 8 pm: Blue Heron presents “Advent and Christmas in Medieval England” – A cappella program of carols, motets, and plainchant from 15th-‐century England. St. James Cathedral, 804 9th Ave., Seattle. www.blueheronchoir.org and EMG Sun., Dec. 8 @ 7 pm: Byron Schenkman and Friends present “Bach – Gamel.” Features Gamelan Pacific in exploring the similarities between music of the European Baroque and Javanese Gamelan. PONCHO Concert Hall, 710 East Roy St., Seattle. www.byronshenkman.com Fri., Dec. 13 @ 7:30 pm: Tudor Choir presents “My Dancing Day: Advent Carols and Motets.” Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 4th Ave. S, Kirkland. www.tudorchoir.org and EMG Sat., Dec. 14 @ 2 pm: Moss Bay Recorder Society Meeting conducted by Sally Mitchell – Holiday music. Bellevue Library, 1111-‐110th Ave. NE, Bellevue. www.mossbayrecorders.org Sat., Dec. 21 @ 8 pm: Medieval Women’s Choir presents “Christmas in the Cloister.” St. James Cathedral, 804 9th Ave., Seattle. www.medievalwomenschoir.org Sat., Dec. 28 @ 7:30 pm: Tudor Choir presents “English Christmas: Traditional Carols for Christmas and the New Year.” Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 9th Ave., Seattle. www.tudorchoir.org Sun., Dec. 29 @ 7 pm: Byron Schenkman and Friends present “Vivaldi Concertos.” Judith Linsenberg, recorder; Curtis Foster, oboe; Anna Marsh, bassoon; Ingrid Matthews, violin; Nathan Whittaker, cello; Byron Schenkman, harpsichord. Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya, Seattle. www.byronschenkman.com
Tues., Jan. 7 @ 7:30 pm: Students of the Artistic Diploma in Early Music program from Cornish College of the Arts present a free recital. Music of Hotteterre, Balbastre, F. Couperin, Morley, C. P. E. Bach, Purcell, and Telemann. TPC. EMG Friday, Jan. 10 @ 7:30 pm: Classical Oboe Quartet presents “The Oboe Quartet in My Life.” Music of Stamitz, Mozart, Masek, and Eybler. Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 4th Ave. S, Kirkland. EMG Sat., Jan. 18 @ 8 pm: Seattle Baroque Orchestra presents “Dresden Concertos.” Guest director Rachel Barton Pine leads music of Vivaldi, Pisendel, and Telemann. TH. EMG Sat., Jan. 25 @ 7:30 pm and Sun., Jan. 26 @ 3 pm: Gallery Concerts presents “Romantic Moments with Trio Paradies.” Music of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Chopin. Hear the Seattle debut of the magnificent 1830s Viennese “Grafendorfer” grand piano. Queen Anne Christian Church, 1316 – 3rd Ave. W, Seattle. www.galleryconcerts.org Friday, Jan. 31 @ 7:30 pm: Obligato Players (Cecilia Archuleta, Baroque violin; Charles Coldwell, recorder; and Jieun Kim Newland, chamber organ) presents “Bach, Buxtehude and Other German Masters.” Music also includes works by Schmeltzer and Telemann. Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 4th Ave. S, Kirkland. EMG
Concerts and Events Calendar
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