JANUARY 2022

NEXT MPRO MEETING

The Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra’s next Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 12, at 7:30 p.m. See Fred Palmer’s column in this issue for more information.  Given the highly contagious Omicron variant of the coronavirus and continued county requirements for masking indoors, it does not appear that the orchestra will be able to meet in person any time soon.  

COMING EVENTS AND ONLINE RESOURCES

Some of the coming events highlighted in this issue are currently scheduled to be held in person rather than virtually. Given the uncertainty associated with the coronavirus, their status should be checked closer to the dates.

The San Francisco Early Music Society has two "Special Event" concerts scheduled in January.  On January 14, Quicksilver Baroque will perform music from "The Very First Viennese School." The January 29 event is Swiss ensemble Profeti della Quinta with "The Story of the Italian Madrigal." For information on both, see: 2021/22 Concert Season – San Francisco Early Music Society.

The San Francisco Recorder Society’s next Zoom meeting will be conducted by the Oregon Renaissance Band Trio.  Note that the meeting is on Thursday, January 20, not the Society’s usual Wednesday date.  For more information, see: The San Francisco Recorder Society (SFRS).

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CONDUCTOR’S CORNER

Dear members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,

        Ray White and I will be co-hosting a virtual MPRO meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, January 12, at 7:30 P.M.  Those attending will be admitted to the meeting starting at 7:15 P.M.  We will be working on the following music:

Mesomedes:  Hymn to the Sun

Dufay:  Quel fronte signorille 

Jarzebski:  Canzona Quinta

Corelli:  Sonata Op. 4, Sarabanda and Tempo di Gavotta

I have sent out the music and PDF files for these selections to all MPRO members.  Please remember that I will be conducting each of the selections scheduled.  This means that the music will not appear on the screen, and those attending will need to read from hard copies they have downloaded when playing along with the sound files.  Ray White will be sending out invitations to all MPRO members with a link to the virtual Zoom meeting and other information.  Please contact him at <rayhwhite@yahoo.com> if you do not receive an invitation.

The orchestra will continue with virtual meetings until the current health situation changes and in person meetings are once again possible.  I look forward to seeing those who will be attending the meeting on January 12.

Sincerely,

Fred Palmer

MORE COMING EVENTS AND ONLINE RESOURCES

The Bay Area ensemble Voices of Music has scheduled three performances of “Musica Transalpina: Chamber Music from Italy and England” on February 18, 19, and 20.  See: https://www.voicesofmusic.org/concerts.html for more information.

The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival has two upcoming in-person concerts, including “Love and Lust” on February 5, and “From Hotteterre to Hotter Jazz” on February 27. The ensemble for the latter will include flute, harpsichord, viol, jazz sax, guitar and bass. Its goal is to “apply Hotteterre’s improvisational ideas creatively in jazz style.” See: https://scbaroque.org/.

A new North American Virtual Recorder Society has been formed and is in the process of becoming a chapter of the American Recorder Society. It is open to anyone including novice through advanced recorder players, and members of existing ARS chapters who want additional playing time.  The first chapter meeting is scheduled for January 22. More information is available at: North American Virtual Recorder Society.

RECORDINGS OF MPRO’S LATEST MUSIC

Links to recordings of three of the four pieces to be rehearsed on January 12 have been included in previous issues of Upbeat. See this link for a recording of Adam Jarzebski’s Canzon Quinta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWZkJ1Z527c.

For good measure, here is a recording of another Jarzebski canzon featuring a flute, portative organ, and accordion trio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsAN7N18WpU.

MPRO members may recall playing Jarzebski’s Berlinesa, including bassoon solos by talented high school student member Gregor Dairaghi, during our 2014-2015 season.  You should have a recording if you purchased a DVD of our 2014 Holiday Concert.  Here is a recording of the Berlinesa by another ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYgw5A4gm9o.

IN MEMORIAM: STEVIE WHITE

Long-time MPRO member Stevie White died on December 11, 2021. The MPRO Board of Directors elected Stevie as an honorary member in 2017 for her service to the orchestra as President and Hospitality Chair. Stevie became seriously interested in  recorder playing after retirement from a career as a physical therapist. She was a member of the South Bay Recorder Society, the Peralta Consort, and other Bay Area early music ensembles. This link shows Stevie (at the far left) as a member of the “Cupertino Crones” consort. http://www.estherlederberg.com/Cupertino%20Crones.html.

The Board: President: Judith Unsicker; Treasurers: Chantal Moser and Mary Ashley; Recording Secretary: vacant; Membership: Chris Flake and Tom Granvold; Publicity: vacant; Graphics: Mary Ashley; Newsletter Editor: vacant; Workshop Coordinator: vacant; Hospitality: vacant; Music Sales: Laura Gonsalves; Historian: vacant; Webmaster: Dan Chernikoff;  Music Director: Fred Palmer.  MPRO website: http://www.mpro-online.org   

Past Months' Issues: http://www.mpro-online.org/MPROArchives.htm