SEPTEMBER, 2010

 

 


A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTS

 

Upon embarking  on our fifth and final year as your co-presidents, we join you in exploring the new musical challenges that our fearless leader is providing us.  At the risk of repeating ourselves, we submit these ssuggestions, garnered from a previous UpBeat issue, that may help jump-start your forays into our Fall program materials.

 

From Katherine Borst Jones, Flute Professsor, and Christopher Weait, Bassoon Professor of Ohio State University, comes the following “Practice Strategy” for unfamiliar or new music:

 

- first play correct pitches using an even, steady rhythm at a very slow tempo;

- next play the pitches using accurate rhythmic proportions at a slow tempo;

- then add the accurate articulations at a slow tempo;

- now, add the required dynamic at a slow tempo;

- finally, work toward the required tempo.

 

...Wishing you many happy practices hours (at a slow tempo)...

Grace and Liz (Co-Presidents)

 

 

ANOTHER  Message from our Presidents

 

Hello MPRO members! It has been a great year and the spring concert went well.  Thank you all for your effort during this year.   We are now planning ahead for the 2010 - 2011 year.   As many of you may have heard George Greenwood has resigned from the MPRO Board as Workshop Coordinator.  We are looking for someone to fill that job.  George has indicated he will help, but not take full responsibility.

 

We will probably plan on only one workshop in January. The workshops are an enjoyable and educational experience. We have counted on the workshops to raise some funds to balance our budget.

 

Please let Liz Brownell or Grace Butler know if you would be available to help us this year as a Board Member and Workshop Coordinator.   It is a fulfilling experience!  You can also serve on a Workshop Committee to take positions for various aspects of a workshop: Contact Director, Contact Location, Publicity, Printing Music, Financial.

 

   Thank you,

      Liz and Grace (Co-Presidents)

Conductor’s Corner

Dear members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,

           

Welcome to what promises to be an exceptionally exciting season for MPRO.  To begin with, I am pleased to announce that the orchestra will be joining forces with the CSU East Bay Singers, under the direction of Dr. Buddy James, for two performances of selections from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio this coming December.  One of these performances will be MPRO’s regular holiday concert, and the other will be the Winter Gala presented by the California State University, East Bay Department of Music in Hayward on Friday, December 3 at 7:30 P.M.  Many MPRO members will remember the two stirring performances that the orchestra and East Bay Singers gave at the end of the 2007-2008 season, and this same collaboration in December will no doubt be just as successful and musically rewarding.  I therefore encourage all of the orchestra’s members to take part in both concerts.

Other music planned for the first half of the orchestra’s upcoming season includes the Adagio largo from Telemann’s Oboe Concerto in C minor with Nicholas Vigil, soloist, and an arrangement for recorders of the early 20th-century Yiddish song, A Brivele der Mam’n.  We will also continue to work on the following selections from last season:  Sonata ”La Buscha” by Legrenzi, two 15th-century English songs, Go hert, hurt with adversite and Be pes! Ye make me spille my ale!, Feld-Parthie by Haydn and Quem vidistis pastores? by Bassano.  Once again, we will be welcoming back Gwen Freeman on keyboard who will be joining the orchestra for the performances in December.

Listed below is the music for the first three meetings of the orchestra.  Music can be purchased at these meetings for those who did not download and print it from the PDF files sent to the orchestra’s membership in August.  Those returning from last season can use their music for the selections by Legrenzi, Haydn and Bassano as well as Go hert, hurt with adversite.  A revised score for Be pes! Ye make me spille my ale! has been sent to the MPRO membership, and this score is the one that will be used during the upcoming season.  Please note that great bass and contrabass recorders as well as bass viola da gamba will be needed at all three meetings, dulcien on September 8 and October 6 and krummhorns on September 8.

 

September 8

Legrenzi:  Sonata “La Buscha”

Telemann:  Adagio largo

Bach:  Chorus and Chorale

Bassano:  Quem vidistis pastores?

 

September 22

Haydn:  Feld-Parthie

Go hert, hurt with adversite

Be pes! Ye make me spille my ale!

Shmulowitz:  A Brivele der Mam’n

Bach:  Chorus and Chorale

 

October 6

Haydn:  Feld-Parthie

Legrenzi:  Sonata “La Buscha”

Telemann:  Adagio largo

Bach:  Chorus and Chorale

 

 

I look forward to working with you again in September and encourage you to let any of your friends who play early instruments know about the orchestra's activities this season and invite them to attend our upcoming meetings, workshops and concerts.

    

Sincerely,    Fred Palmer

DUES ARE DUE

A reminder that your dues for the 2010-2011 season is due.

 

Please enclose an updated application form with your payment.  (See previous page.)  If the info hasn't changed from last year, just write your name.  Be sure Chris has your latest e-mail address. Please do fill in any consort requests and your preferred instrument choices.

 

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