November 2015
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Save the workshop date! The title of MPRO’s January 23, 2016 workshop, to be directed by Greg Ingles, is “The Floating City: Music of Renaissance Venice.” The workshop will focus on music performed in the streets, courts, and churches of 16th-century Venice, including music by Adriano Willaert, Cypriano de Rore, and Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. More information will be included in the December-January issue of Upbeat.
Please help with publicity. Copies of the flyer the December 5, 2015 holiday concert will be sent to MPRO members. Please provide copies of the flyer to anyone you think would be interested, and post paper copies on cultural events bulletin boards in libraries and other public places in your area.
Upbeat needs you. The Newsletter Editor position is still vacant. I have produced the October and November issues and will do future issues until a long-term editor is available. However, I would really like to see someone creative volunteer for the job. It’s not difficult if you know how to format a Microsoft Word document and embed graphics into it. The number of paper copies involved has been reduced so that printing and mailing are not big chores. I also encourage MPRO members to contribute articles and other “news that’s fit to print” for Upbeat. The newsletter is usually distributed at the beginning of the month, and contributions should ideally be sent to the editor at least two weeks ahead.
Musical trivia of the month. My article on Anne Boleyn’s songbook begins on page 3.
- Judith Unsicker
CONDUCTOR’S CORNER
Dear members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,
Listed below is the music for the orchestra’s next four meetings. Please note that the meetings on Monday, November 16, and Monday, November 30, will take place at Grace Lutheran Church, 3149 Waverley Street in Palo Alto at 7:30 P.M. as will the meeting on Friday, December 4, which is the dress rehearsal for the orchestra’s holiday concert. The holiday concert will take place at Grace Lutheran Church on Saturday, December 5, at 7:30 P.M. All those planning on taking part in this performance are expected to attend the dress rehearsal on December 4. As in the past, small ensembles are encouraged to appear in this concert. Those groups that intend to perform at the holiday concert are asked to send me the following information by November 20: the title(s) of the music to be performed, the name(s) of the composer(s), the name of the ensemble (if any) and the names of the ensemble's members. Please note that at the November 4 meeting there will be sectional seating for the Gabrieli Canzon Noni Toni, with those in Coro Primo on the right as they face the conductor and those in Coro Secondo on the left. Please observe this seating arrangement when you choose your place at the beginning of the meeting on November 4. Seating charts will be used for the meetings on November 16, November 30 and December 4 as well as the holiday concert on December 5. Please note as well that sopranino and contrabass recorders as well as bassoon will be needed at all four meetings, krummhorns on November 4, November 16 and December 4 and great bass recorders on November 16, November 30 and December 4. [Editor’s Note: Remember to bring a music stand to the church!]
November 4
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Anonymous: El Picardo
Krieger: Partie
Monday, November 16
MPRO meeting
Grace Lutheran Church.
3149 Waverley Street in Palo Alto, 7:30 P.M
Krieger: Partie
Anonymous: El Picardo
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
Monday, November 30
MPRO meeting
Grace Lutheran Church, 7:30 P.M
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
Friday, December 4
Dress rehearsal for the MPRO holiday concert
Grace Lutheran Church, 7:30 P.M.
Angels We Have Heard on High; O Little Town of Bethlehem;
Joy to the World
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Anonymous: El Picardo
Krieger: Partie
I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings and concert.
Sincerely,
Fred Palmer
ANNE BOLEYN’S SONGBOOK
A music collection that probably belonged to Anne Boleyn was recently rediscovered in the library of the Royal College of Music in London. It is an illuminated manuscript that includes an inscription with her name “Mistres ABolleyne” and a family motto, “nowe thus.” Further evidence of a connection with Anne is one of the illustrations showing a falcon (Anne’s heraldic badge) pecking a pomegranate (the badge of Catherine of Aragon). See: http://speedy.theanneboleynfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Anne-Boleyn-songbook.jpg. Anne spent her teen years at the court of Margaret of Austria in the Netherlands, and at the French court, where she would have heard music by the greatest composers of the time. There are 42 pieces in the songbook, including songs in French and Latin, and instrumental pieces for lute and harp. Composers represented include Loyset Compere, Josquin Desprez, Antoine Brumel, Antoine de Fevin, and Jean Mouton.
Anne Boleyn’s songbook was in the news in September 2015 in connection with live performances of some of the music by the choral group Alamire, and the release of a
CD. This news story includes video recordings of three of the pieces (Prater rerum serium and Stabat mater dolorosa by Josquin Desprez, and Tota pulchra es by Jean Mouton): http://www.classicfm.com/discover/periods/renaissance/articles/anne-boleyn-songbook/. A promotional video for the CD at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBlUlId85ss includes a discussion of the songbook by Alamire’s conductor, Dr. David Skinner of Cambridge University, and additional music performed in the chapel of Arundel Castle.
The Board: President: Judith Unsicker; Treasurer: LouAnn Hofmann; Recording Secretary: Helen Shamble; Membership: Chris Flake; Publicity: vacant; Graphics: Mary Ashley; Newsletter Editor: vacant; Workshop Coordinator: vacant; Hospitality: Judith Unsicker; Music Sales: Laura Gonsalves; Historian: vacant; Webmaster: Dan Chernikoff; Facilities Mgr: Grace Butler; Music Director: Fred Palmer; Assistant Music Director: Greta Haug-Hryciw. MPRO website:
Upbeat
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