The Polychoral Music of Heinrich Schütz and his contemporaries
VOICES & INSTRUMENTS (A=440)
Tutor: Peter Wendland
St Martin’s Chapel, University of Cumbria, Lancaster
Reviewer: John Insole
On Saturday 13th June, I attended my second NWEMF workshop. Having enjoyed a similar event a year earlier, I couldn’t resist another one, especially since it was happening in my local area. The venue was a chapel on the University of Cumbria campus in Lancaster, and it was excellent. There was plenty of room, great acoustics and free parking. What’s not to like?
The event focused on “The Polychoral Music of Heinrich Schütz and his contemporaries,” and we were tutored and guided by Peter Wendland, who I now know to be a very accomplished and respected musician and teacher, along with many other accolades I’m sure. I must admit, I wasn’t aware of him before, but I’ll definitely remember him now!
The day began with a friendly mingle with fellow attendees, delicious home made refreshments and the allocation of the pieces for the day. A seating plan for each piece was displayed on the wall, and everything was well organised. I appreciated the effort that must have gone into arranging this for 50 people.
Prior to the event, we received plenty of information about the venue, the composers, the tutor and the pieces (including public performances we could listen to in advance). We also had an agenda for the day. As a very amateur cellist with limited experience playing Baroque music, it was really kind of the organisers to send me the pieces in advance so I could familiarise myself with what I would be playing.
The pieces were arranged for a wide range of instruments, both old and new(er), and a vast vocal range of singers. This is what drew me to this particular event. The pieces were composed during the Baroque period by three German composers: Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) and Johann Caspar Kerll (1627-1693). The lyrics were in German, which added an extra special dimension to it. The harmonies also suited the venue we were playing in. Each piece commanded the use of several instruments and vocal ranges. There was a unique seating plan for each piece, with designated spots for each singer and instrument based on how Peter wanted the music to be projected. For example, the first piece ‘Singet Dem Herrn’ was arranged so that bassus was in the centre and then gradually spread out to tenor, altus with cantus surrounding on both sides in symmetry. It could have been considered a stereo formation but the reality was it mimicked glorious surround sound!
In front of the singers, each instrument was matched with them based on their corresponding range or clef. This seemed to work beautifully. Playing the cello, I was in the bassus or continuo and surrounded by other basses such as the bass recorder, trombone, viol and base singers. As everyone in my immediate vicinity were in the same category, it felt like we were in unison and could bounce off each other and give each other direction and keep ourselves in time. Other seating arrangements included more standard placements such as the bass on one side to treble/altus on the other side that was used for ‘Ist nicht Ephraim mein teurer Sohn’. For ‘Missa Pro Defunctis’ it was more a mix with strings and recorders on one side with woodwind and Bassus continuo on the other. Each arrangement had a unique sound and it was wonderful to be able to sit among different instruments and singers for each one. A special mention to the harp and organ too, for what could be considered logistically challenging or impossible to move! I also thoroughly enjoyed the singers. It really did sound like I was at a royal coronation with all the beautiful harmonies and projection. It was a pleasure for the instruments to complement the singers and vice versa. It never felt like we were competing.
Peter introduced the pieces and himself, and we were straight into rehearsals. His clear direction, professionalism, understanding and tutelage were fantastic. Initially, I struggled to adjust to the timings of the pieces, but Peter’s guidance soon put me at ease and made the day even more enjoyable than I anticipated. He was always full of useful advice and not only did I have fun but also felt like I’d received a mini masterclass in Baroque music.
Just like the last event, it was wonderful to play with other musicians who clearly shared a passion for this music. Everyone made me feel welcome and there was a wonderful range of people of all ages and backgrounds. I enjoyed getting to know them a little during the breaks. After working on the more challenging sections of each piece, we played them all through one by one. It reminded me why I love these events so much. The singers and their harmonies combined with the musicians’ lovely instruments and the chapel’s reverberation created an amazing sound. It truly made me feel part of something special.
Considering it was a full day with welcome breaks, it didn’t feel like a slog. It was excellent value for money, a productive, inspiring and enjoyable day in a relaxed atmosphere with inspiring people.
John Insole
Published in September 2026 Newsletter
See also Workshop report – 13 June 2026
