Unsure about your level? Please refer to our Self-Rating Guide.
Period:
1
Level:
Any
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Daily Dot-Connector
Faculty:
Powell Eig
An integrated warm-up routine connecting the dots between the mind, the body, and the instrument. Participants will leave with a set of modular, adaptable exercises and a template for a healthy, creative daily warm-up routine for all levels.
Period:
1
Level:
B/B+
Class Size:
limit 15
Instrument:
instruments
available – all sizes
Introduction to the viol
Faculty:
Shuldiner
The perfect opportunity to try the viola da gamba! Tuition free class for those interested in exploring a new instrument in a relaxed and supportive group environment. Instruments provided upon request on a first-come, first-served, basis.
See details under Beginners Program. No prior experience necessary.
Period:
1
Level:
LI to I+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Transposition Boot-Camp
Faculty:
Seligmann
Historical musicians were accustomed to transposing as needed. Become a more flexible player by developing the skills to transpose at sight. Different strategies work for different people, and all require a great deal of repetition, but once you can do it, you always can!
Period:
1
Level:
LI to UI+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Brent’s Bowing
Faculty:
Wissick
Focus on bowing technique for flexibility, agility and a joyful sound. Breathe, count numbers and utter nonsense syllables. All levels welcome: it never hurts to revisit, review, or try a new approach to making the most of your bow.
Period:
1
Level:
LI to UI+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
trebles only
Treble Connection
Faculty:
Meints
The treble’s dainty size and ethereal sound requires attentive playing. Focus on treble technique, with special emphasis on fingering and sound production.
Period:
1
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
limit 10
Instrument:
any size
Robert’s Rules
Faculty:
Terry
This progressive class allows participants to ingest Ganassi’s philosophical nuggets and sound advice on instrument care and technique, and play through the musical examples, transcribed for trebles, tenors and basses to play together.
Period:
1
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Fretwork
Faculty:
Gillespie
Connect the dots on the page to your frets without taking the time to name the notes. Learn to read any clef, transpose any melody, or jam on a ground. Start the journey that frees you to concentrate on the music instead of worrying about finding notes.
Period:
1
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
En pointe
Faculty:
Blendulf
The French dot and its evolution. Explore the techniques for performing dotted figures from the early Renaissance Franco-Flemish masters to the intricacies of inégalité and over-dotting in the Baroque works of Charpentier and Rameau in exercises and excerpts.
Period:
1
Level:
I to UI+
Class Size:
limit 9
Instrument:
Tenors only
Tenor made Easier
Faculty:
Halverson
With music by Purcell, Jenkins and Ward as our subject and tenor viol as our instrument, we’ll tackle the oftentimes scary challenge of starting pieces, explore the high and low ranges, and problem-solve passages with awkward fingerings and bowings.
Period:
1
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
What’s the Point?
Faculty:
Moran
A mentally stimulating, technical workout using a variety of counterintuitive exercises that will help with expression in the bow and agility in the fingers. We will track our progress with a different piece of music at the end of each class.
Period:
1
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
Vielles
(experienced)
Solazzo Plays the Vielle
Faculty:
Springfels
Experienced vielle players will explore the early 15th C pieces by Zacharias and Ciconia. played be the fictional character Solazzo in Prodenzani's "Il Saporetto" (loaner instruments available)
Period:
1
Level:
I+ to UI+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Articulation Bootcamp
Faculty:
Bandy
Build and drill technical tools for clear, dynamic performance of imitative texted polyphony. Through a range of gestural and musical-syllabic exercises, develop bowing techniques for conveying idiomatic textual rhythms in multiple styles, with an emphasis on often-set texts in Latin, English, Italian, and German.
Period:
1
Level:
I+-UI+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Bott’s Dots
Faculty:
McGaughey
Bott’s dots—raised pavement markers—provide tactile and visual feedback to help drivers change lanes. Music has tactile and visual signals, too, that let us know before we do something that might need extra technical attention. It’s useful to see these challenges coming and deal with them in advance! Bring in your own pieces for the clarifying focus of Bott’s dots.
Period:
1
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, T, T, T/B, B
Semper Dowland
Faculty:
Walhout
Using the dance music of John Dowland, this class will focus on expressive bow technique. Learn and practice both smooth (connected) and articulated (not connected) strokes in a consort setting.
Period:
1
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
The Long & Short of It
Faculty:
Schroeder
How do we know when to play long or short notes, make connections or leave spaces in between…? This class will address how to make informed decisions about articulation, as well as how to technically execute them.
Period:
1
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
Basses only
Technique Makeover
Faculty:
Lardin
Build a solid technique routine that addresses tone, scales, arpeggios, intonation, shifting, agility, power, range, bow management. Leave with a portfolio of exercises and ideas you can use daily to make all your playing easier, plus a plan to implement them that makes sense for your unique circumstances and goals. Like a spa retreat for your playing!
Period:
1
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
pardessus & treble
Marais for pardessus
Faculty:
Chancey
Villeneuve made pardessus arrangements of more than 200 movements from Marais’ five books of bass viol suites. Many are challenging to play at tempo. What do we do: slow it down, stay fast but simplify, throw caution to the winds? We’ll experiment and evaluate.
Period:
1
Level:
A/A+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
Basses only
The Sibley Marais Markings
Faculty:
Cunningham
So many different kinds of notes! Notation gone crazy! How to take these detailed 18th century markings from the Sibley source, using clues from Villeneuve, and integrate them into a musical performance that speaks to us and to our audience.
Period:
2
Level:
B+-LI
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Poppin’ Praetorius
Faculty:
Chancey
Using Michael Praetorius’ 1612 magnum opus Terpsichore, we’ll explore how dance and song are played differently; how to bring out the characteristics of the different dances using articulation and slurring; and how to add simple ornaments.
Period:
2
Level:
LI+ to I+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Connective Tissue
Faculty:
Mead
The dots on the page give us the skeleton of the music; how we connect them gives us the living body. Explore the spaces between the notes and how we can use our bows and fingering to connect the dots into shapely lines.
Period:
2
Level:
I/I+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any
Double your Pleasure
Faculty:
Meints
Take a tour of some of the most beautiful music for viol consort in the safety and comfort of a doubling group. Share the joy of ensemble playing with companions by your side.
Period:
2
Level:
I/I+
Class Size:
limit 8
Instrument:
tr, T, T, B
(doubling)
Renaissance Gems
Faculty:
Halverson
An introduction to popular songs and dance music dating from the early Renaissance and composed by masters such as Josquin, Senfl, Isaac, Lassus and others.
Period:
2
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
Basses only
Connect the Letters
Faculty:
Lanier
Introduction to tablature, using Playford and his introductory Harpway Sharp pieces, leading to easy trios, using Martha Bishop’s wonderful collections as guides.
(You must be willing to retune your instrument slightly for this class!)
Period:
2
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size
Making Connections
Faculty:
Poon
Teach your friends to play viol! Viol basics and planning for getting friends and neighbors into our world. Outreach materials and ideas provided, and hands-on instruction for getting your local community growing.
Period:
2
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
vielles
(loaners available)
Introduction to Vielle
Faculty:
Springfels
Curious about medieval bowed strings? Now’s the chance to try one out! Conclave has a collection of vielles available to use during the week. Explore medieval French music on the instruments it was intended for. Let us know if you need a loaner vielle.
Period:
2
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
vielles
viole d’arco
Renaissance viols
Connect the Instruments
Faculty:
Seligmann
In the late 15th century, instruments we call “vielles” may have overlapped with instruments we call “viole d’arco” - early viols. Explore repertoires which may have been played on a variety of bowed instruments, from chansons and frottole to balli.
Period:
2
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
any
Love at First Sight
Faculty:
Keller
We all want to be able to make beautifully crafted musical ideas on a first or second play-through. What skills can help us achieve that goal? We’ll look at a few consorts, working on articulation, dynamics, and techniques to enter back in after getting lost. Each class will also include a sight-reading session to put our new skills to work.
Period:
2
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B
Dot-to-Dot
Faculty:
Shuldiner
Explore the connection between body, technique, and expression. Do you struggle with translating the notes on the page to the sound in your mind’s ear? Technique and body awareness encourage the expression needed to complete the musical picture.
Period:
2
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, T, T, B, B
Point/Counterpoint
Faculty:
Lardin
Explore simple imitative sacred polyphony: gorgeous sonorities, moderate tempos, and chill rhythmic profiles. Build confidence and independence while focusing on hearing and matching motives as they pass around the ensemble.
Period:
2
Level:
I to UI
Class Size:
limit 8
Instrument:
tr, T, T, B
doubling
Connect with Bach
Faculty:
McGaughey
Back by popular demand, this class will work through many of Bach’s iconic chorales, focusing on connecting the text to the music through articulation.
Period:
2
Level:
I+/UI
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T/B, B
In Nomine
Faculty:
Schroeder
This popular English compositional form uses the plainchant-derived In Nomine tune from a mass by John Taverner. The drawn-out note values of this cantus firmus tie all the imitative, polyphonic voices together creating a rich instrumental tapestry.
Period:
2
Level:
UI
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Family Tree
Faculty:
Powell Eig
Trace the viol consort's musical DNA from the "Grandfather" (Tallis), through "Father" (Byrd), to "Heir" (Tomkins). We will compare their Fantasias and In Nomines to hear how structure, harmony, and gesture evolved across three generations.
Period:
2
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr/T, T, T, B, B
Old Dots, New Dots
Faculty:
Gillespie
The Dow Part Books are a curated collection of beautifully copied polyphony from the hand of Robert Dow, the Allen Garvin of his day. Pieces will be offered in both facsimile and modern edition, offering a gentle introduction to music without barlines.
Period:
2
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, tr/T, T, T/B, B
Poynt & Tye
Faculty:
Moran
Learn how to read, and develop a modicum of comfort with, 16th-c sources: various clefs, no barlines, and some funny-looking rests. We will focus on a gorgeous manuscript table book copied around 1578, which includes In nomines by Tye and Poynt.
Period:
2
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
Basses only
Marais’ Inégales
Faculty:
Wissick
Take turns playing solo and continuo, with an emphasis on style and bowing issues rather than difficult chords and passages. Liberté, fraternité, inégalité!
Period:
2
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Antiquae/Novae
Faculty:
Terry
Connecting old and new: This repertoire-reading class will pair works from the Renaissance consort repertoire with works by living composers, works that tell common musical stories. A performance of a pair of works is a goal!
Period:
2
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Lupo’s 6-part Consorts
Faculty:
Walhout
These pieces are perfect little mini-dramas. We'll work together to hone the dialogue, characters, and plot to tell an engaging story to our audience.
Period:
2
Level:
A/A+
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Jenkins meets Lawes
Faculty:
Blendulf
Spend the week immersed in the 6-part fantasias and consort setts of English composers John Jenkins and William Lawes. (Charles Coleman and his challenging 6-part fantasias might drop in for a visit as well…)
Period:
3
Level:
LI to I
Class Size:
limit 8
Instrument:
tr, T, T, B
Hold the Line
Faculty:
Blendulf
Maintaining (and beautifying) your own line in an assortment of polyphonic works from the 16th century. This class will focus on the consort music from Petrucci’s Odhecaton and the British Library’s manuscript addition 31390.
Period:
3
Level:
I/I+
Class Size:
limit 10
Instrument:
tr, T, T, T/B, B
Love Me Do
Faculty:
Walhout
5-part English madrigals all about people just tryin' to make a connection. (Who knows? Maybe the Fab Four will make a cameo appearance!)
Period:
3
Level:
I/I+
Class Size:
limit 10
Instrument:
tr, T, T, B, B
Drawing Parallels: Fauxbourdon!
Faculty:
Bandy
Join Dufay, Layolle, Weelkes, Palestrina, de Wert, Victoria, Morales, and Monteverdi on a tour of fauxbourdon: a distinctive counterpoint device showcasing “illegal” parallels. We’ll trace its earliest 15th-c. appearances and later cameos, to discover layers of symbolic meaning it transmits across time.
Period:
3
Level:
LI and UI/UI+
Class Size:
LI: no limit
UI: limit 6
Instrument:
LI: T, B
UI: all sizes
Expanded Dots
Faculty:
Gillespie
Many pieces of Renaissance polyphony contain one slower moving part around which the piece is structured. Explore a different tune each day in this introduction to an enormous and stunning repertory. Less advanced players on slower-moving parts will join more experienced players – everybody wins!
Period:
3
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
vielles
rebecs
Renaissance viols
Create your own Estampie!
Faculty:
Chancey
Learn everything you need to improvise a 13th c. estampie. We’ll discuss rhythmic and melodic modes; French, Italian and English forms; typical licks, and the connection between notation and composition.
Period:
3
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
limit 9
Instrument:
any
The Subtlest Dots
Faculty:
Lanier
Discover the Ars subtilior, a mysterious & rhythmically complex body of work from the early Renaissance. Playing works from the Chantilly and Modena Codices we’ll compare three different editions: original, “modern”, and barless, with strategies for dealing with rhythmic complexity.
Period:
3
Level:
I to A
Class Size:
limit 12
Instrument:
Basses only
Bottom Line
Faculty:
Powell Eig
This class views the bass line as the ultimate connector—the thread that ties the harmony and rhythm of the consort together. Activities focus on "connecting the dots" of the bass line to lock in the pulse, shape the phrase linearly, and listen "up" to connect the bass line with upper voices.
Period:
3
Level:
I/I+
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any size & singers
Make it Count
Faculty:
Wissick
Play and sing works of Ludwig Senfl and pieces from the Glogauer Liederbuch: These lovely and intricate pieces always have at least one part where you really have to COUNT.
Period:
3
Level:
UI
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
any size
Renaissance viols welcome
Knecht-ing the Dots
Faculty:
Seligmann
The Landsknechte were German mercenaries in the late 15th- and early 16th-centuries. The music of their time and place speaks of a boisterous and well-connected culture, ready to take inspiration from Franco-Flemish polyphony and add a uniquely German flair.
Period:
3
Level:
UI
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
Mostly basses
Patterns & Sequences
Faculty:
Terry
Renaissance ground bass lines influence composers of every era (how many times have you heard a rock song based on passacaille?) In this class we will learn grounds and their tunes, and accompany each other’s divisions with great chording.
Period:
3
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 5
Instrument:
tr, tr/T, T, B, B
Only Connect
Faculty:
Lardin
"Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height” - E.M. Forster. Using English vocal music, we’ll explore how we use the tools of our bodies and our instruments to wring out as much text expression as we can, in the interest of engaging and moving the listener and connecting as a consort.
Period:
3
Level:
UI/UI+
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr/T, T, B, B
Connecting the Now
Faculty:
Keller
Explore new possibilities for consort, bringing more recent music for choir and vocal ensemble to a new light. Give life to words with articulation, discover new landscapes, push some limits. Composers may include Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, and Hindemith.
Period:
3
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
limit 6
(doubling)
Instrument:
any size
Renaissance viols welcome
Distant Mirror
Faculty:
Springfels
Machaut on Viols: Consort players, do not feel that medieval music is off-limits because you don't possess a vielle, harp or lute. One of the joys of living in the 21st century is the wide availability of all sorts of marvelous music for playing as well as listening.
Period:
3
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Rewarding Connections
Faculty:
Poon
A week of Ward – what more could you possibly want?
Period:
3
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T/B, B, B
Rhetorical Fantasies
Faculty:
Cunningham
Explore the gesture and rhetoric in the 6-part fantasies of Byrd, Gibbons, and other English consort composers.
Period:
3
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Off the Beaten Track
Faculty:
Halverson
Our playlist of the wonderfully satisfying texture of 6-part music includes Bach’s Ricercar from the Musical Offering, Purcell’s In nomine à7, and fantasies and madrigals of Lupo and Weelkes.
Period:
3
Level:
UI+/A
Class Size:
limit 8
Instrument:
Basses only
Those Dotty Folies
Faculty:
McGaughey
Marais’s Folies (Bk 2) offer many technical and musical challenges. Dotted notes, of course, but also long notes/short notes; accented/unaccented; every kind of articulation. We’ll skip around in the piece. Players should prepare at least 5 or 6 of the 32 variations.
Period:
3
Level:
A
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Round the Circle
Faculty:
Moran
Take turns playing all the parts in consorts by Dering, Ward, and Coprario. You should be somewhat familiar with playing all three sizes and comfortable sharing your instrument. Fitness bonus: you’ll clock some steps as you move to the next chair from piece to piece.
Period:
3
Level:
A/A+
Class Size:
limit 6
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, T, B, B
Dotty Composers
Faculty:
Schroeder
Cranford? Coleman? Lawes? One can only imagine from their music that these composers were indeed eccentric! This class will tackle and enjoy their strange and daring compositions.
Period:
4
Level:
Any
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
any
Connected Viol Technique
Faculty:
Cunningham
Freebie Class: A whole-body approach to the viol, from the soles of the feet, to the sit-bones, to the breath, to the ways that left hand fingertips and right hand fingertips can communicate with each other.
Period:
4
Level:
Any
Class Size:
no limit
Instrument:
voices & viols
The Ties that Bind
Faculty:
Mead
Freebie Class: Binding together our instruments and voices in Renaissance songs and motets, reminding us that “There is no I in Polyphony” – it’s all about connection. Play, sing, or do both!
Period:
4
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
daily
sign-ups
Instrument:
Bass players
The Bertrand Viol
Faculty:
Meints
Drop-in Class: Sign up for a session playing Cathy’s original Bertrand viol. Bring your favorite French solo and play it on an historical instrument, accompanied by Cathy herself.
Period:
4
Level:
UI to A
Class Size:
limit 10
Instrument:
tr, tr, T, B, B
Arranging for viols
Faculty:
Lanier
Freebie Class: Guidelines and advice on how to arrange music from a wide variety of genres (pop, Broadway, orchestral, choral, string quartet, etc.) successfully and idiomatically for the viol. Submit your arrangements in advance for class playing and discussion, and experience those of Brady himself and other successful arrangers.