The Polychoral Music of Heinrich Schütz and his contemporaries
Tutor: Peter Wendland
St Martin’s Chapel, University of Cumbria, Bowerham Road, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 3JD
VOICES & INSTRUMENTS A=440
BOOK ONLINE BY 23 MAY 2026 for early bird discount
We are delighted to welcome back Peter Wendland in the lovely setting of St Martin’s Chapel in the University of Cumbria. This workshop is for singers and all instruments (cornetti, sackbutts, curtals, viols, low recorders (ATB), etc including modern strings, trombones, bassoons). All applications should be received by 30 May so we can ensure we have sufficient scores for all participants (please contact us if you can only apply after this date). Click here to read the review of Peter’s last NWEMF workshop in June 2024.
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) was one of the most important German early Baroque composers and organists before J. S. Bach. Schütz studied 3 years in Italy with Giovanni Gabrieli and brought the Italian style to Germany. Michael Praetorius (1571- 1621) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He wrote the “syntagma musicum“, a theoretical work in three books, the second of which describes in detail many instruments of the time with scaled-down drawings. Between 1615-19, Praetorius worked and consulted with Schütz, and we can feel the influence of the Venetian style in the composition which we study today.
We will also be looking at a work by a less well-known composer, Johann Caspar Kerll (1627-1693). He was a very fine composer and outstanding teacher. He studied in Vienna and was also strongly influenced by Schütz. He worked in Vienna, Munich and Brussels and travelled widely. Sadly many of his works have been lost, but the surviving works give a very good insight into his composition style and polyphony, where he explores the baroque style mixed with beautiful harmonies. We will study three movements (Requiem, Sanctus and Agnus Dei) from his Missa pro defunctis first published in 1689 for 5 voices and 4 instruments.
Schütz – Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied Psalm 98 (8 parts)
Kerll – Missa pro defuncits – Kyrie, Sanctus & Agnus Dei (4 voices, 5 instruments)
M Praetorius – Eine Feste Burg a 8
Schütz – Ist nicht Ephraim mein teurer Sohn (8/16 parts)
A note about the last piece of the day, Ist nicht Ephraim mein teurer Sohn: this composition is unusual in that it starts in 8 parts, and about half way through each part divides and we suddenly have 16 parts to create an even richer sound. An excellent way to finish the workshop!
The expected timetable is as follows, but is subject to minor changes on the day.
TIMETABLE
10.00 Registration and tea/coffee
10.30 Morning session (with short comfort break)
12.45 Lunch break
14.00 Afternoon session (with tea/coffee break)
17:00 Conclusion
Venue
St Martin’s Chapel is in the Lancaster campus of the University of Cumbria (marked “6 Chapel” on the map below). Access by car is from Bowerham Road – follow the driveway up to the visitors’ car park, which is free to use all day. It’s a short walk through the campus to get to the Chapel. There is disabled parking outside the Chapel itself – follow the road to the right where it forks, and drive up to the Chapel.
If coming by train, the campus is about 1.2 miles away from the station, about 5 minutes by taxi. There are also frequent buses that serve the university – click here for more details.
There is one toilet in the Chapel, but the library across the road will be open and we can use their facilities there. There is a corner shop about 10 minutes away, but you might prefer to bring a packed lunch – hopefully the weather will be kind to us as there are tables outside we can use.
Please bring your own mug – there aren’t any in the Chapel.
Please join as a member before submitting your workshop application form.
Workshop fees
Please book as soon as possible – apply by 23 May to benefit from the early bird discount. All applications should be received by 30 May so we can prepare sufficient scores for all participants (please contact us if you can only apply after this date).
- £20 for NWEMF members (and other EMF members) before 23 May (£25 if booked after this date)
- £25 for non-members before 23 May (£30 if booked after this date)
- £5 Full-time students
Payment details
Please send the appropriate workshop fee by bank transfer to:
Account Name ‘N W E M F’ (include the spaces between each letter)
Sort code 09-01-56
Account number 79658106
Payment reference – “13June” followed by your own surname
You can also pay by cheque made payable to “NWEMF” or by cash – either bring it with you on the day (let us know that you intend to do this), or send it to the Treasurer (details are on the PDF form). You can also contact the organiser, Bryan Au Yeung, directly by email at studentrep@nwemf.org.
Please complete the online application below (please complete a separate form for each person attending).
If you are attending as a family, please complete only one form, and in the “Any other information” box, add the names and voice/instrument for each person attending, along with note of the total due.
Your place on the workshop will not be confirmed until payment has been received.
Thank you – we will be in touch shortly
In the rare event that any technical issues persist after a few attempts, simply email Bryan with the required information to studentrep@nwemf.org.
If you would prefer to download and print the application form, click here.
The Tutor
PETER WENDLAND is a viol player and early music specialist; an accomplished, versatile and sensitive performer on all instruments of the viol family: pardessus de viole to violone. As a soloist he plays the viol repertoire from Ortiz to Abel. Contemporary projects have included a recording with the American cult composer, “Moondog”.
As a performer of Bach, he has played the three celebrated sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord obligato in the Bachhaus in Eisenach with Harald Hoeren and in the UK with David Roblou; the gamba solos from the Passions, and performed and recorded the Art of the Fugue with the Koelner Violen Consort.
As a consort player he is a longstanding member of the acclaimed Rose Consort of Viols, whose recent guest artists have included Emma Kirkby, Jacob Heringman, Jacob Lindberg, Catherine King and Timothy Roberts. With the Koelner Violen consort in Germany: radio, CDs, premieres of new music for viols and collaborations with lutenist Konrad Junghaenel, oboist Helmut Hucke and cornett player Friedemann Immer.
As a teacher he has been a visiting artist at Trinity College of Music in London and taught at summer schools and workshops throughout Europe, including the Dartington International Summer School. He currently teaches regularly at Benslow music trust (Hitchin) and at several colleges in London. As a specialist in early music he has coached and performed with ensembles ranging from viol consorts, choirs and recorder ensembles to renaissance wind bands.
