NOVEMBER 2017

UNFAMILIAR INSTRUMENTS

The recorder is probably the most popular early music instrument to have been revived. However, there are multiple organizations dedicated to reconstructing and/or performing with a variety of other early instruments. Iowa State University's Musica Antiqua ensemble plays replicas of instruments from the 12th through 17th centuries. See this web page, https://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html, for links to

technical and historic information about 32 different instruments or categories of instruments. Photographs and audio recordings are included. Among the less familiar wind instruments are:

names include the words for “noise” and “scream,” and

tone from the krummhorn. The only surviving example was found in the wreck of King Henry VIII’s ship, the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545.

Musica Antiqua’s main web page, https://www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/index.html, includes general information about the ensemble and a link to a large collection of early music resources.  I plan to write about other reconstructions of early instruments in future issues of Upbeat. 

-Judith Unsicker

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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 meeting on Monday, December 11, 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 15, which is the dress rehearsal for the orchestra’s holiday concert.  The holiday concert will take place at Grace Lutheran Church on Sunday, December 17, at 2:00 P.M.  All those planning on taking part in this performance are expected to attend the dress rehearsal on December 15.  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 24:  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 meetings on November 8 and November 29 there will be sectional seating for the Franck motet with those in Primus Chorus on the right as they face the conductor and those in Secundus Chorus on the left Please observe this seating arrangement when you choose your place at the beginning of the meetings on November 8 and November 29.   Seating charts will be used for the meetings on December 11 and December 15 as well as the holiday concert on December 17.  Please note as well that sopranino, great bass and contrabass recorders as well as krummhorns and bassoon will be needed at all four meetings.

November 8

Franck:  Gloria Patri, qui creavit nos 

Encina:  Fata la parte, ¿Si abrá en este beldrés

Handel:  Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1, final Allegro

Crecquillon:  Vidit Jacob Scalam

Evans:  Waltz for Debby

November 29

Franck:  Gloria Patri, qui creavit nos 

Encina:  Fata la parte, ¿Si abrá en este beldrés

Handel:  Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1, final Allegro

Ravenscroft:  Remember, Oh Thou Man

Evans:  Waltz for Debby

Monday, December 11

MPRO meeting

Grace Lutheran Church.

3149 Waverley Street in Palo Alto, 7:30 P.M

Franck:  Gloria Patri, qui creavit nos 

Encina:  Fata la parte, ¿Si abrá en este beldrés

Handel:  Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1, final Allegro

Ravenscroft:  Remember, Oh Thou Man

Crecquillon:  Vidit Jacob Scalam

Evans:  Waltz for Debby

Friday, December 15

Dress rehearsal for the MPRO holiday concert

Grace Lutheran Church, 7:30 P.M.

Deck the Hall; The First Nöel; We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Franck:  Gloria Patri, qui creavit nos 

Crecquillon:  Vidit Jacob Scalam

Evans:  Waltz for Debby

Ravenscroft:  Remember, Oh Thou Man

Encina:  Fata la parte, ¿Si abrá en este beldrés

Handel:  Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1, final Allegro

Sunday, December 17

MPRO holiday concert

Grace Lutheran Church, 2:00 P.M.

Franck:  Gloria Patri, qui creavit nos 

Crecquillon:  Vidit Jacob Scalam

Evans:  Waltz for Debby

Ravenscroft:  Remember, Oh Thou Man

Encina:  Fata la parte, ¿Si abrá en este beldrés

Handel:  Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 1, final Allegro

Deck the Hall; The First Nöel; We Wish You A Merry Christmas

I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings and concert.

Sincerely,

Fred Palmer


YEAR-END DONATIONS TO MPRO

 If you plan to make a year-end donation to MPRO, and want to itemize tax deductions next year, checks for donations should be made payable to the San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS).  Please do not mail donations for MPRO directly to SFEMS, or try to donate to MPRO online through the SFEMS webpage.  There has been confusion in the past that led SFEMS staff to interpret donations for MPRO as donations to SFEMS. Checks should be given or mailed to our new Treasurer, Chantal Moser, who will send them to SFEMS with instructions to credit them to MPRO.  SFEMS will do the tax paperwork and send us checks reflecting cumulative donations over a given time period.  If you don't plan to itemize deductions, it is easier for us if your check is made to MPRO, and it will be deposited directly to our bank account. (This also saves us the SFEMS administrative fee.)  If you write a check to MPRO and decide to itemize at a later date, our Treasurer keeps records of all checks.  Checks should be given to Chantal Moser at a rehearsal, or mailed to her -Judith Unsicker.

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

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