As we begin our first week of rehearsals, it occurred to me to post which students are involved in this project and a link to a better description of what exactly it is that we are doing together every week.
The Who (not the band)
Quartet
Kate Jackson-Adams, soprano
Rachael Bumstead, alto
Davis Kelton, tenor
Deon'te Goodman, baritone
Sextet
Meredith Mormonn, soprano
Amanda Girelli, soprano/alto
Eun-Ju Seo, alto
David Boyd, tenor
Jacob Gilbert, baritone
Austin Jeffries, bass
The What
If you are interested in reading a more detailed abstract for this project (more detailed than my first post), click here.
A part of this project is travel to disseminate information gathered during our research and rehearsal process. I had a great conversation last night with my friend and colleague Deanna Joseph, Director of Choral Activities at the Georgia State University School of Music, about presenting our material at GSU. We will be looking into other performance opportunities in the area and when our itinerary is set, including performances in Greensboro, I will add a specific travel post!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Rehearsal and Orientation - January 26
Our first rehearsal this past weekend went really well. We
met to go over expectations and procedures, set up a rehearsal
schedule, and talk about the process of working in chamber ensembles.
After getting the business side of things out of the way, we
listened to the Ave Maria...virgo serena.
It is so nice to be immersed in such fantastic music again and to share it with
students who have had little experience with Josquin. Over the course of about
an hour, we were able to rehearse the Ave well enough to sing through it
entirely with only a few hiccups here and there.
The singers on this project are great musicians and will
find and fix those problems before the next rehearsal. I provided translations,
IPA, and recordings to get them started on rehearsing the chansons this week,
and also gave them journals in which to document and reflect on their rehearsal
process. I plan to give them prompts each week and some direction on what and
how to rehearse, but want them to take ownership of this music and think
creatively about how to represent it. Although this is not a purist venture from a
performance practice or early music perspective, they have already
intuitively adopted the sound world appropriate for Josquin (natural, easy,
release without overproduction). These are super smart singers and I look forward to our next rehearsal!
An Introduction
Welcome!
This blog is dedicated to documenting the rehearsal and performance process of ten undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who are working, many for the first time, in chamber ensembles on the music of Josquin des Prez.
A little background on Josquin (in case you were wondering)...
Josquin des Prez lived from around 1450-1521 and was one of the first super star composers. Courts courted him. Composers imitated him. Publishers and composers used his name to market and sell their music. Women fainted at the sight of him. Okay, I made that last part up, but he really was the Eric Whitacre of his day. He was born in the Franco-Flemish regions (read: Belgium-ish/France-ish) but traveled widely throughout what is now Europe. He wrote music for the church, music for the court, and music for having a good time. He also masterfully blurred those lines.
The Josquin Project includes ten music students who are working in small ensembles on some of Josquin's chansons and motets, including the famous Ave Maria (think music history class), which can be heard performed by the Tallis Scholars by clicking on the link. Leadership is shared by members of the ensemble and guided by me. At the end of our rehearsal and research process, we will be traveling to present a lecture-recital on various aspects of this music. The dissemination of this research is supported by the FTLC and the Department of Music Performance.
This blog is dedicated to documenting the rehearsal and performance process of ten undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who are working, many for the first time, in chamber ensembles on the music of Josquin des Prez.
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| Petrus Oppmeer's woodcut |
A little background on Josquin (in case you were wondering)...
Josquin des Prez lived from around 1450-1521 and was one of the first super star composers. Courts courted him. Composers imitated him. Publishers and composers used his name to market and sell their music. Women fainted at the sight of him. Okay, I made that last part up, but he really was the Eric Whitacre of his day. He was born in the Franco-Flemish regions (read: Belgium-ish/France-ish) but traveled widely throughout what is now Europe. He wrote music for the church, music for the court, and music for having a good time. He also masterfully blurred those lines.
The Josquin Project includes ten music students who are working in small ensembles on some of Josquin's chansons and motets, including the famous Ave Maria (think music history class), which can be heard performed by the Tallis Scholars by clicking on the link. Leadership is shared by members of the ensemble and guided by me. At the end of our rehearsal and research process, we will be traveling to present a lecture-recital on various aspects of this music. The dissemination of this research is supported by the FTLC and the Department of Music Performance.
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