SEPTEMBER 2015
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Welcome to MPRO’s 53rd season of making music! I am honored to be your new president. We have an exciting season lined up, including a workshop on Saturday, January 23, as described in Fred Palmer's message in Conductor’s Corner. More information will be coming in a future newsletter.
MPRO’s web page (www.mpro-online) has been updated to delete the outdated information on consorts and add a new “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) list on the “Joining MPRO” page. The FAQ includes information in a question and answer format that may help prospective new members decide whether to join MPRO. Please continue to help recruit new members by distributing the revised MPRO flyer as appropriate.
MPRO is a volunteer organization, and we depend on members to manage its affairs by serving on the Board of Directors. Several Board positions are still open, and I encourage members-especially those who have never served on the Board, to volunteer. Special thanks are due to outgoing Board members Mary Ann Field (newsletter editor) and Laura Gonsalves (workshop coordinator). In particular, Mary Ann went beyond the call of duty to produce and distribute this September newsletter. Details on vacant Board positions can be found in the archives of the mpro-members@googlegroups.com mailing list. Go to groups.google.com and search for “mpro-members” in the “search for topics or groups” blank near the top of the screen.
All MPRO members are welcome to attend Board meetings. They are scheduled on an “as needed” basis, and are usually held before rehearsals, between about 7:00 and 7:25 p.m. If you come early to a rehearsal and see us meeting at the back of the room, feel free to sit in. If you would like to be notified of the date of the next Board meeting, or if you have an issue that you would like to bring before the Board, please email me at judith.unsicker@gmail.com.
Wishing all members a great 53rd season.
Judith Unsicker
CONDUCTOR’S CORNER
Dear members of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra,
Welcome back to MPRO’s fifty-third season. I am pleased to announce that Greg Ingles will be directing a workshop to be presented by MPRO on Saturday, January 23. Greg Ingles holds a Masters and Doctoral degree from Stony Brook University, where he specialized in historical musical performance. He is a member of Piffaro, Quicksilver and Ciaramella and has played with Concerto Palatino, the American Bach Soloists, and Tafelmusik. He is music director of the Dark Horse Consort, a lecturer at Boston University and teaches at the Madison Early Music Festival. His extensive knowledge of early brass music allows him to bring a special perspective to the repertoire for recorders and other soft instruments from the Renaissance and early Baroque, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to gain from his valuable and stimulating insights into performing the music from these periods. Details concerning the workshop will appear in future issues of Upbeat. In the meantime, please reserve January 23, 2016 on your calendar for this workshop.
Once again, I am happy to let you know that Greta Haug-Hryciw will be retuning this season as MPRO’s Assistant Music Director. For the orchestra’s holiday concert in December, Greta and I have chosen a wide range of selections exploring the full potential of the orchestra. These include a movement from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 4 featuring two bassoons, a first for the orchestra, Greta’s arrangement of The Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa and a saltarello from one of the earliest surviving collections of Italian renaissance dances, which will feature the orchestra’s double reeds. Also on the program will be the Gabrieli Canzon Noni Toni and Krieger Partie from last season. Finally, Irene Beardsley will be joining the orchestra again to share her keyboard skills with us at the performance 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 the music they already have for the selections by Gabrieli and Krieger. Please note that 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 meetings on September 23 and October 21. Please note as well that sopranino and contrabass recorders will be needed at all three meetings, great bass recorders on September 9 and October 21 and bassoon as well as krummhorns on September 23 and October 21.
September 9
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
September 23
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Bach: Bourrée I and II
Anonymous: El Picardo
Krieger: Partie
October 21
Gabrieli: Canzon Noni Toni
Anonymous: El Picardo
Wolkenstein: Ave Mater, O Maria
Sousa: The Liberty Bell March
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
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A MESSAGE FROM THE TREASURER
Greetings –
Welcome to MPRO's fifty-third season. Fred, Greta, George, Judith and the MPRO board have put together a great fall program. I hope to see everyone in September.
Dues for next year remain $100 regular membership, $50 student membership, and $35 associate membership. Some budget items cannot be projected until dues are received, so let me thank you in advance for paying as soon as possible.
Last year we held expenses fairly well, with little change to our General Fund. Donations continue to be an important part of our budget, and help keep dues affordable. Please make donations by separate check payable to: The San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS). These donations are credited to the account of MPRO and are tax deductible.
LouAnn Hofmann, Treasurer
Non-members are invited to be our guest at a regular meeting of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra. Bring your instruments or just come and listen.
MPRO 2015-2016 season rehearsals begin Wednesday, September 9, from 7:30 to 9:30 P.M. at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, Room 060; 480 East Meadow Dr., Palo Alto. The orchestra is open without audition to recorder, early wind and early string players who are able to read and play the music provided at meetings.
2015 rehearsals (Fall Season): Sep 9, 23; Oct 21, 28; Nov 4, 16, 30; concert dress rehearsal Dec 4; concert Dec 5. The 2015 meetings, dress rehearsal and concert will all be at 7:30pm. Dates for the spring season rehearsals and concert will be posted on the MPRO website http://www.mpro-online.org when available.
Music teachers: Please share the information about MPRO with your students and encourage any who you feel are ready to attend one of the orchestra's meetings this season. Please contact Music Director, Fred Palmer, (650) 591-3648.
For more about MPRO, contact President Judith Unsicker or Music Director Frederic Palmer or our website http://www.mpro-online.org
MPRO is an affiliate of the San Francisco Early Music Society and an American Recorder Society-affiliated Recorder Orchestra.
Want to receive Upbeat by e-mail? Moved? Please use the "Joining MPRO" link on our website http://www.mpro-online.org.
MUSIC SALES
Unable to download the MPRO music? Laura Gonsalves will make copies for you.
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