Polychoral music to include works by Lassus, Scheidt, Hassler and others
VOICES & INSTRUMENTS
Tutor: Peter Wendland
St. Mary’s Church Hall, Sale, Manchester
Reviewer: Susie Ross
What a day full of delightfully challenging music we all experienced on Saturday June 15th in Sale. Where were the “others” who missed such joy, we wondered? For some of us, rather apprehensive on arrival, music in 12 parts caused us no worries we discovered!
Tutor, Peter Wendland, a viol player and Early Music specialist, was able to cope with our various capabilities, to fill the day with fun and encouragement.
Our first piece, in 8 parts, Alma redemptoris mater by Orlando di Lasso (Flemish), took some time to get started. Allocating which “voice” was to be in which choir was somewhat problematic!!! Singers all in 1st with instruments and instruments only in 2nd was eventually decided. Then we were all on the MOVE! Instrumentalists were seated in order to suit Peter’s usual arrangement, to give him a good chance of bringing in the correct voice each time – or so he said. We were all encouraged to take a breath at a “,” or “.”, “no random breathing allowed”, “sit up on the front of your chair, no leaning back”. We hadn’t made a sound yet!
Peter’s method of looking at short passages from the middle or end (not usually the beginning!) of the work, when sight reading helped throughout the day to build up a picture before singing/playing the piece through. We always achieved in the end. We learned how to tackle repeated notes “never play two the same” and the importance of “moving parts” among bars of otherwise stable notes. Watching Peter was essential but well worth the effort! We eventually sang the di Lasso motet all the way through. Singers standing, eyes bright, breathing “immaculate”, timing “perfect” and everyone happy. A beautiful piece, just the rest of the day’s work to tackle!
Our 2nd piece, an 8 part motet by German composer, Samuel Scheidt, Christ lag in Todesbanden was a different challenge. Peter encouraged us to “pitch” the first note” in advance even before we took our first breath. We would have a chance of “playing” in tune and keeping in time. We took the piece apart to understand how it was put together, which gave real insight into its composition. Our Tutor was very aware of our pitch, breathing and timing difficulties so we had no choice but to concentrate, watch his guidance and improve as the day progressed. The possibilities of “disasters” were shown to us, so then we noticed them ourselves and took more care!
This Scheidt motet was a balanced piece to sing. We put into the music all we were learning. Very satisfactory!
Just one more before lunch. Giovanni Priuli (Italian), who included Basso Continuo in his music, a new idea at the time (1618). Another motet in 8 parts and shorter than our second piece. More challenges! To prepare we had to focus on our first note. “Safer” Peter reminded us and it did improve our pitch and breath control. After rehearsing we put the motet together and sang and played it through. Amazing.
Now for a break for lunch.
As a singer, for this workshop my observations are biased! However, after all the morning’s playing by an amazing array of instruments viz. Bass Curtals & Recorders; Tenor Sackbuts and Recorders; Violins; Alto Shawm & Tenor Kortholt and one Cornetto, I must comment.
On occasions I think each player must have been alone on their part. Somewhat daunting for the motet we were tackling but all rose to the occasion and made as good a sound as singers managed.
The afternoon heard us reading 2 more pieces. Huge removal of players and singers to create 3 choirs, one of instruments only. The rest of us all rearranged. Ascanio Trombetti (Italian) wrote the earliest of our works, Ad te levavi. It was spiced with triplet rhythms (pointed out to us by Peter, who knew we had not noticed them!) After all the morning’s music we spent less time reading this piece (but observing the triplets) we sang it through with gusto. Coro III (instruments) were wonderful.
Our final piece was in 12 parts. In Choro I instruments (blowing), our Cornetto player regaled us with ornamentations to thrill. Both choirs II & III had instruments to cover. A Violin was allocated to support choir III whose second note was a top A, followed by 54 more. Just 3 of us and age was not on our side! We gave it our best. This piece, Jubilate Deo by Hans Leo Hassler, was a long hard sing but with all Peter’s tutoring, cajoling, praise and belief in us we ended the day on a high, the band gaining much praise from us all.
Thank you to all involved in putting on such a fantastic workshop.
Susie Ross
First published in June 2024 Newsletter
