Picture of Michael Praetorius, 1606
Season’s Greetings, from Michael Praetorius
VOICES & INSTRUMENTS
Tutor: Peter Syrus
Location: Chorley Village Hall, Cheshire
Reviewer: Mark Flinn
The worst of the icy winter weather relented for a few days in early December to allow a good quorum of NWEMF members and others to celebrate Christmas with the music of Praetorius, led by our seasoned tutor Peter Syrus. The workshop was held on December 4th in Chorley Village Hall (that’s Chorley, Cheshire, not Lancashire), which turned out to be an excellent and friendly venue. A good balanced choir and a dazzling range of string and wind instruments (including recorders, sackbuts, cornets and, memorably, a curtal) created a truly joyful sound. Peter’s excellent accompanying notes gave us the essential scholarly background about Michael Praetorius. Born in Creuzberg an der Werra (not far from Bach’s birthplace in Eisenach in south east Germany) around 1571, Praetorius had a career taking him to Frankfurt an der Oder, Regensburg, Kassel, Dresden and Magdeburg. He died, a wealthy man, in Wolfenbüttel in 1621.
Peter took us through three settings of the Advent hymn Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (two 4 part chorale settings and a magnificent double choir setting). Later, the memorable double choir setting of the great Christmas hymn In dulci jubilo echoed round the hall.
In between, we worked at a range of other settings: Wachet auf, for two choirs in 7 parts, two settings of Ecce Maria genuit and four (yes, four!) settings of Von Himmel hoch.
This workshop was perfectly timed for the start of the festive season. Four participants joined NWEMF as a direct result of the day. Our thanks to Peter and all those who helped to make such a success of the day.
First published in February 2011 Newsletter
