English Dance Musicians Course at Early Music Week
Tentative Schedule
| 7:45-8:15 | Hot Breakfast served cafeteria style |
| 8:15-8:45 | Cold Breakfast Coffee/Tea available |
| 8:30-8:50 | General Morning Warmup and Recorder Warm-up |
| 9:00-10:30 | English Dance Musicians Course |
| 11:00-12:00 |
Introduction to Historical Dance with Sheila Beardslee(All levels) Music by: Dan Meyers, Ellen Tepper Simple yet elegant Renaissance dances in contrasting styles. Open to all. Please bring soft-soled dance shoes (such as a jazz dance shoe). |
English Country Dance Essentials with Jan Elliott(B and up) Music by: Sarah Cantor, Dana Maiben Prepares newcomers for the evening dances. |
|
Intermediate English with Anna Rain(I and up) Music by: Francie Fitch, Emily O'Brien Learn about style and technique, refresh your memory and learn new figures. |
|
Advanced English with Graham Christian(A) Music by: Peter Barnes, Judy Linsenberg For the most experienced dancers. |
|
| 12:00-12:30 | Free time: Swimming, Bookstore staffed |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 2:00-3:15 |
Good and Bad Taste: Ornamentation with Frances Fitch(All levels) instruments, voices
|
Dufay Cabaret with Dana Maiben(All levels) instruments, voices Guillaume Dufay was the master of both sacred and secular song in the 15th century. Which was the rose, which the thorn? Explore the gamut (!) in this afternoon cabaret workshop - if Dufay goes to church on Sunday, and cabarets on Monday - 'tain't nobody's business - you can too! I'll bring the music - you bring one or two fun costume elements, your instruments and voices, your curiosity, creativity, and best musicianship, and a willingness to go just a little bit wild… |
|
Emulation and Transformation in the Renaissance with Michael Barrett(All levels) instruments, voices Explore the rich 15th- and 16th-century tradition of using pre-existing musical material as a foundation for new compositions - madrigals, chansons, popular tunes, chant melodies and sacred polyphony - and their transformations. |
|
A Rose by Any Other Name with Sarah Mead(LI-I) instruments The composers may remain anonymous, but their music is just as sweet. Bowed and plucked strings and recorders. |
|
Broken and Fixed Consorts with Joanna Blendulf(I-A) instruments Explore the wonderful world of the "broken consort", mixing various instrument families in consort, through the music of Morley and Locke. Then come together for some of the great viol consort literature, focusing on the fantasias of Gibbons and Tomkins, among others. |
|
Performance Dance Ensemble with Graham Christian(HI-A) dancers We will learn two very different dances for two couples: a Menuet a quatre from the turn of the 18th century, and Argeers, from the first edition of Playford's Dancing Master (1651, but the dance probably older). If there is time, we will add a longways from the first quarter of the 18th century. |
|
Loud Band: Court vs. Chapel with Wayne Hankin, Dan Meyers(HI-A) brass, reeds Alta Cappella vs. Cappella Sacra--contrasting purely instrumental 15th-c polyphony (Casanatense MS, Odhecaton, etc.) with motets/masses. |
|
Now and Then with Judith Linsenberg(HI-A) recorders Fun, accessible music by living composers and the older forms that inspired them, including fugues by Bach and Glen Shannon; ricercars by Frescobaldi and Matthias Maute; dances by Renaissance composers and Don Bateman, and more! |
|
Renaissance Consort: With or Without Bar Lines with Sarah Cantor(A) Renaissance recorders Playing on a set of matched meantone recorders made by Bob Marvin, and using Renaissance fingerings, we will look at the same piece vertically, with bar lines and a score; and horizontally, with only your part and no bar lines. Does this affect how we listen and phrase? |
|
| 3:35-4:45 | English Dance Musicians Course |
| 5:00-5:30 | Tea |
| 5:30-6:20 | Free time: Informal camper readings, Swimming, Bookstore staffed, Side-by-Side Readings |
| 6:30 | Dinner |
| 7:45 | Mini Presentations |
| 8:15 | All Camp Dance |
| 9:45-10:45 | Special Events |
June 27 - July 4, 2013
Held during Early Music Week at Pinewoods.
Is there still room?
For up-to-date info about availability and wait lists,
see our Program Weeks page.
Program Director
Peter Barnes
Peter Barnes has been playing more instruments, in more genres, in more interesting locations, for longer than most of us can remember. Averaging over 250 gigs per year, he currently plays in the Latter Day Lizards, Bare Necessities, Big Bandemonium, Dark Carnival and Yankee Ingenuity. Peter also keeps himself busy with teaching, recording, publishing music books, composing and crafting wooden whistles.
http://www.canispublishing.com/
English Dance Musicians Course at Early Music Week
Program Description
With its wide variety and long history, English traditional dance music is infinitely rewarding to play, ranging in feel from classical to jazzy to barn-dance styles. Knowing how to play for a dance event with so many differing musical possibilities is the challenge and the joy of the ECD musician. Please join me as we learn about and practice repertoire as well as harmonizing, improvisation, phrasing, ornamentation, tempo selection and maintenance, working with callers and the skills of ensemble playing (without having your band sound like mush).
This course will present ideas, tunes and concepts in the 90 minute class each morning. In a daily afternoon class, there is an opportunity to implement those ideas in supervised small band settings.
Our emphasis will be on playing. Participants should be able to competently sight-read new music at an appropriate tempo on their instrument. Come learn what you need to know to start or be in an English dance band. As we explore both the beautiful and the comical in the dance-playing art, you'll probably have fun as well!
This course, held concurrently with Early Music Week, is an exciting opportunity to be in a musician-focused environment, where others will be working on technique, period style and improvisation. As part of Early Music Week, English Dance Musicians Course participants will have a chance to join one of the three graded, daily English country dance classes, to be reminded of the music from the "user's end". Early Music Week offers a number of options for the rest of the afternoon (including practice time), as well as dancing and concerts in the evenings.
-- Peter Barnes, Program Director
Materials
Small group ensembles will work with The Barnes Book of English Country Dance Tunes (both Volumes), available from CDSS and at the camp bookstore.
Registration
This course is limited to 12 participants to ensure plenty of opportunity for active participation. If it is oversubscribed on March 18, there will be a lottery of qualified applicants, with preference given to musicians with experience playing for English country dance. Please clearly indicate if you would like to attend Early Music Week, if you did not get a space in the course. Scholarships are available.