‘From Chapel to Tavern:

a not-to-serious introduction to early music’

November 30th - December 5th 2008 

  
The world of early music is sometimes thought to be esoteric, the preserve of those with specialist knowledge, or those who have developed a taste for music outside the main stream. This is unfortunate because early music is so accessible when it is approached with open minds and ears.
This holiday will trace the development of Western music from its beginnings in plainsong, focusing particularly on one of the ‘golden ages’ of music - the 16th and 17th centuries. This was a time when music had a strong social role, written for the church or for home and court entertainment. It is not all serious music - at times it could down-right bawdy (as in the tavern) !

    
The course will assume no previous knowledge of music of this early period, and we shall listen in a non-threatening way to a wide range of music - vocal and instrumental - drawing examples from works of the great composers of the age - Palestrina, Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Monteverdi and Purcell to name but some. Many of the musical examples will be associated with the Christmas period, and reference will be made to parallel developments in the visual arts whenever possible. Scores will be available for anyone wishing to follow musical examples as they hear them.

     
The holiday will climax with a recital on Thursday evening by members of the early music group Lyra, Deborah Catterall, soprano, and Martin Eastwell, lute.
                                                                                                 

TUTOR

Clive Walkley (M.Phil.B.Mus.G.T.C.L.) studied at Trinity College of Music and London University. He has spent the last thirty years of his professional life working in Teacher Education and now lectures part-time for Lancaster University.
He lives in Kendal, where he is a church organist, a cellist and the conductor of the well-known South Cumbrian chamber choir, The Pro Nobis Singers. His research interests include work on 16th-century Spanish church music and music education. He is very active in the field of early music, and until recently was the Director of the North West Early Music Forum’s annual Summer School of Renaissance Music.

The 5-night holiday runs from Sunday evening through to mid-day Friday. All prices are per person and include full English breakfast, morning coffee, 4-course dinner and V.A.T.

Non-participating partners are welcome, and the cost for them is £50 less than above.

Deposit of £150 per person for the holidays, which can be made by cheque or credit card. This is non-refundable unless the room is subsequently relet - cancellation insurance is available.