Palestrina plus – a workshop for singers *
Tutor: Peter Syrus
Didsbury Baptist Church, Manchester, M20 6SX
VOICES
Peter writes: ‘Following a feast of workshops for voices and instruments we return to one for singers alone. For many, the music of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525/6-1594) represents the gold standard in ‘a cappella’ repertoire, be it in the four-voice ‘classic’ Super flumina Babylonis, the joyous Tu es Petrus, or the Venetian opulence of the double-choir Hodie Christus natus est. With these, and three further texts, we shall compare each setting by ‘princeps musicae’ with that of one other sixteenth-century composer. Some of their names will doubtless be familiar, such as Andrea Gabrieli, Victoria, or White, but others, Francesco Bianciardi and Don Fernando de las Infantas, maybe not. I refuse to perpetuate the once-prevalent notion that there is a (singular) Palestrina style, but with these rich contrasts it should prove easier to assess the breadth of his genius. There is then here, as the marketing cliché goes, something for everyone. Or, if you prefer, old ones, new ones, loved ones, neglected ones… now that really dates me.’
* in all voice ranges, though if you stray above soprano g’’ or below bass E you’ve either gone wrong or are simply showing off…
TIMETABLE
10.00 Arrival and registration
10.30 First session
12.45 Lunch break
14.00 Afternoon session
17.00 Conclusion
The Tutor
Until retirement Peter was a lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and also taught at several northern universities. With considerable experience in the performance of early music as both singer and instrumentalist he regularly runs workshops and courses up and down the country.
Watch a short video with photos and audio recorded at the workshop below.
