William Byrd - a weekend workshop

Midlands Early Music Forum

Saturday 9th September

Psalms, Songs and Sonnets of 1588

with Tutors Alison Kinder and Helen Charlston

This workshop is the first of MEMF’s celebratory Byrd weekend and will focus on small-scale pieces for voices and instruments. This day is for viols, low recorders (tenor and basses) and voices, and will focus on pieces from the ‘Psalms, Songs and Sonnets’ of 1588. Pitch A=440

The Music is likely to include Blessed Is He, All As A Sea, Though Amaryllis Dance, but will be chosen to best suit the forces available once applications have closed. We will spend time all together, but also have access to a couple of breakout rooms where instrumentalists will be able to work on a consort song with Helen singing. The day will finish with an informal mini-concert to include pieces we have worked on.

In addition, you are invited to submit for performance at the mini concert a piece of Byrd (or Weelkes) prepared in advance, for any forces (so a viol fantasy, consort song, madrigal…).  Please email Jill Davies (daviesmusic@btinternet.com) before 6 September if you would like to offer a piece for the concert.  Friends and relatives are welcome to attend at 5.30 pm.

Sunday 10th September
William Byrd on a Grand Scale

The Sunday workshop is for everyone – Singers, viols, recorders, brass, double reeds, anything at pitch A=440 – and will be Tutored by Alison Kinder. Everyone is welcome singing or playing.

The Music
Byrd – The Great Service (Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis)
Byrd – Domine Quis Habitabit a9
We thought that as Thomas Weelkes shares Byrd’s anniversary, we ought to allow him a piece as well!  So we will include a Weelkes anthem – either ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, or ‘O Lord Arise’

Music will be provided on the day.