And then after the opera, TEMP Goes to the Blanton!

When: Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, at 5:30pm
Where: Blanton Museum of Art, UT Austin
             200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.,
             Austin, Texas 78701
Admission: FREE!

Paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Parking is $4, bring your ticket with you to the museum.

The Blanton Museum of Art's Beat the Rush is a series of gallery concerts in which musicians perform in response to the paintings, drawings, and sculptures on display. This month, Texas Early Music Project presents a program of music from and about 12th- and 13th-century Europe, in conjunction with the Blanton's exhibition The Crusader Bible. An ensemble of vocalists and musicians performing on instruments from the time period (vielle, rebec, harp, gittern, psaltery, and percussion) will perform troubadour works from southern France and trouvère songs from northern France (including one written by Richard the Lionheart after he was kidnapped while returning home from the Third Crusade) as well as music from northern Iberia, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the original Carmina Burana manuscript.

Codex Buranus ("Songs of Benediktbeuern"), f94.

Enjoy these audio teasers from our newest CD, Unrequited Love: Troubadours of France & Spain:

For more information, visit the Blanton Third Thursday page and the Crusader Bible page.

Y'all come!
-Danny

On the 50th Day of Christmas my true love gave me ...

An opera for St. Valentine's weekend!

Image: A promotional graphic for Dido & Aeneas, courtesy of SDSU Opera.

And it's not just any opera; it's created (by Purcell, et al.) for 17th-century England and then re-purposed for you! You'll understand when you see it. Meredith (Ruduski) is the producer (and one of the six singers) and we have been planning a lovely and loving tribute to Purcell's music in a very non-intimidating manner. 

We hope you had a sweet, lively, restful, meaningful, I-just-want-some-time-off, tasty, football-filled (or not), Force-filled (or not) musical, let's-get-on-with-the new-year-already, enchanting Holiday season, no matter what you call it!

Thank you for your support with those end-of-year donations! You keep us going, you know!

Here is more news about the February opera!

-Danny

London City Limits: Opera on the Thames

Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 8PM
&
Sunday, February 14, 2016 at 3PM
Both at First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

The next stop on our Eurotour includes the stages and opera houses of 17th-century London as we pay homage to Henry Purcell, one of the most important composers in the history of music, with a comedic-yet-tragic, dramatic-yet-hilarious pastiche of beautiful Purcellian operas as well as some extraordinary gems from his predecessors Robert Johnson and Nicholas Lanier, who were pivotal composers in the earlier 17th century. Our tale, which will surely touch both your heart and your funny-bone, will be performed by a small period orchestra and six of TEMP's acclaimed soloists.

The best opera tells a story that is, if not totally (or even the slightest bit) believable, at least is one that we can connect with—either through the characters or the music. With this in mind, we weave a plot around music from Purcell’s operas The Fairy Queen, King Arthur, Dido & Aeneas, The Tempest, and some of his songs and dialogues. Our lively, witty, and loving pastiche of beautiful music contains some of the most popular and should-be-popular works from the world of early Baroque opera.

Some of the leading lights of early music, rising stars from New York Peter Walker (baritone) and renowned countertenor Ryland Angel, join TEMP core members Jenifer Thyssen & Meredith Ruduski (sopranos), tenor Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, and baritone Brett Barnes for this unique production. Violinists Stephanie Raby, Bruce Colson, violist Bruce Williams, Jane Leggiero (cello), Scott Horton (theorbo), and Austin Baroque Orchestra director Billy Traylor (harpsichord) comprise the period orchestra.

As an early Valentine present, treat yourself and your sweetie(s) to the beauty, brilliance, and passion of some of the most accessible opera excerpts in an intimate setting. We’ll tell a story that will warm your heart, make you laugh, and put your toes to tapping. The passion! The jealousy! The love! Will there be a happy ending? We aren’t sure, but there will be no recitatives and there will be super-titles!

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message, or email info@early-music.org.

On the 12th Day of Christmas: Parting is such sweet sorrow; time for hot chocolate!

A Loth to depart was the common term for a song sung, or a tune played, on taking leave of friends in Elizabethan times. The popular tune, of unknown origin, was treated to a number of settings, both vocal and instrumental, and the tune and text were referred to in a number of plays in the 17th century. In modern times, the New York-based early music group Ex Umbris sang an arrangement of Loath to depart by Grant Herreid at the end of their performances. Our friend and colleague Tom Zajac was a co-founder of Ex Umbris; about thirty musicians and two hundred congregants sang and played Loath to depart for Tom at his memorial service in New York City, November 6, 2015. We are including Loath to depart near the end of the concert as a tribute to Tom and also as a reminder that we love the Christmas concert and are loath that it's coming to a close!

c. 1600 Cambridge University MS Dd.2.11 fol 9 (lute tab).

Sing with thy mouth, sing with thy heart,
Like faithful friends, sing Loath to depart;
Though friends together may not always remain,
Yet Loath to depart sing once again.

And, I’m loath to say, we are the end of our 12 Days of Christmas factoid per day thing; it has been fun. We think you’ll enjoy the concerts even more, of course.

Please join us at An Early Christmas. www.early-music.org

Click to buy tickets to our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the 11th Day of Early Christmas: A Favorite Through the Centuries

And here we are: It’s time to talk about the Lady Greensleeves, beloved cousin to the beloved Mr. Green Jeans, from “Captain Kangaroo.” They made popular the immortal hit, It’s not easy being green. Raise your hands if you believe this.

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The earliest source of the song we know as Greensleeves was a broadside ballad by Richard Jones in 1580; several more versions appeared shortly, with variants of title and text. There are references to the song in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and, by the end of the 17th century, the song had developed many variants in melody, harmony, and meter in versions by William Cobbold, John Playford, and others. Of course, the popular version for Christmas is What Child is This with lyrics by William Dix written around 1865. Our version is based around the mid-17th century version, The old yeare now away is fled and variations by Playford and Cobbold. Here is a excerpt of the song from our CD Stella splenends: An Early Music Christmas:

There are modern versions/variations by performers as varied as Jacques Brel, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Presley, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and…well, lots more.

An Early Christmas in 2 days. In Austin.
Alas, my love: Be there!

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the Tenth Day of Early Christmas We Went to Ireland Again. A Little.

This has become one of the most popular of the pieces we do an a regular basis; we haven’t done it since 2013 so here it comes again with slightly newly arranged parts…

It is known as The Enniscorthy Christmas Carol to much of the world except that when it was first printed in the Oxford Book of Carols in 1928 it was called The Wexford Carol. Things get really confusing in the world of traditional / aurally transmitted music sometimes. (Shhh. It might also be that the text is of English origin; I think I would be careful where I spread such rumors, though.) The melody is indeed of traditional Irish origin and is probably not very old: mid-19th century, maybe? Our arrangement goes through stages: from quietly meditative to a sort of early 19th century string quartet / or trio with voice style  to a reel with harp, flute, mandolin, violin, continuo, and voice. Really fun.

But the real reason we’re talking about this today is that I first arranged it in 2010 for Cayla Cardiff to sing and, man, does she ever sing the ifreann out of it! Here's a teaser audio from our CD Swete was the Songe:

As coincidence would have it, today is Cayla's birthday! Wish her  Lá breithe shona duit and come hear her sing!

In 3 more days. TEMP: An Early Christmas.

Click to buy tickets to our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the 9th Day of Early Christmas my Director Gave to Meee: A Weather Forecast?

All hail to the days that merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year…

Loreena McKennitt sings it; and it’s on virtually every Anglophile Christmas or Solstice or Winter-related recording. I know of no reason we shouldn’t do it also! This traditional tune, first known as When Phoebus did rest, was set and arranged by John Playford for his country dance primer, The English Dancing Master, in 1651. Related versions of it are also found in the Samuel Pepys collection of broadsides under the title A pleasant Countrey new ditty: Merrily shewing how To drive the cold winter away and a version is also found in d'Urfey's multi-volume set Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy. It remains one of the more popular English ballads in its several incarnations.

December is seene apparel’d in greene
And January, fresh as May…

Considering where we live, I for one am not so eager to drive the cold winter away, though I don’t have to deal with 6-foot snow-storms, either. At any rate, it’s a great song, David Lopez sounds wonderful in his solo verse (listen to the audio teaser below!), the choral parts are fresh, playful, and a little innovative, and evocative visions of hot chocolate and hot cider and maybe a hot toddy or two prevail!

The old and young doth carol this song,
To drive the cold winter away.

This song is also available on our CD Swete was the Songe: An Early Music Christmas in Northern Europe and the British Isles.

Drive the Cold Winter Away, just not too quickly, ok?

TEMP: An Early Christmas. In 4 Days.

It’s still early in the week, but the Friday forecast is 79F. In Austin. We must have some cold winter before we can drive it away, no? 

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the 8th Day of Early Christmas I Was Wondering Where This 12 Day Thing Started!

Seriously. When did this start? Was it the original Black Friday, but a more sophisticated 12 days than 28 - 29 or so? They (“they” being the interwebs) say it might be a derivative of a French folk song—name & date unknown—but The Twelve Days of Christmas was published in London around 1780 in a children's book, Mirth without Mischief. There have been several versions through the centuries, but the version we are used to is the 1909 arrangement by English composer Frederic Austin, which has had a few variations, too. Like most counting songs, this one gets more difficult to keep track of, especially if you’re partying hardy. No, TEMP is not performing this on a Christmas concert. I just thought that we should get to the bottom of this burning question. 

Those of a certain age surely remember Alvin and the Chipmunks version. I know, I'm sorry I brought it up. 

Tomorrow. More.

TEMP: An Early Christmas in 5 Days. Be wise, guys:
get your 8 tix in advance at early-music.org and
be sure to buy 9 TEMP cds at the concerts.
That’s it, I’m out of numbers. 

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the 7th Day of Christmas We Had some News about News of the French Carol Sort!

It's the 7th Day, so it must be time for French music. Let’s consult the New Oxford Book of Carols, my favorite reference book from late October through early December!

Words and languages change. In the late Middle Ages, nouvel an indicated the New Year, the time when carols were most usually sung. That phrase became corrupted to nouel and by the 16th century to noël, and the current use of a noël as a Christmas song was established.

Nouvelet can mean both ‘news’ and ‘newness.’ Noël nouvelet, meaning a newly-made song for both the New Year and the newly born infant-King, will be performed in 7 days. Our a cappella arrangement for 4 parts (sung by women) has been a fave for the last 6 or 7 years, even though there are often a few little tweaks from year to year. I’m not sure if the audients hear the changes but the performers do! Here's an audio teaser from our CD Stella splendens: An Early Music Christmas:

That’s all the nouvelet for now. Good night, and good luck.

TEMP: An Early Christmas in 6 Days.
Be wise, guys: get your tix in advance
at early-music.org

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

On the Sixth Day of Early Christmas We Didn’t Forget (Totally) to Talk about Music from the Lowlands!

Yes, I know, at the end of the 4th day we said that on the 5th day we would talk about music from the Lowlands that was related to the German music of the 4th day. I put it off for a day because I really wanted to talk about smelly, odiferous odors on the 5th day. But here we are.

The last few years, we’ve introduced several pieces by the Flemish composer Messaus and we’ve revived our famous Dutch carol. This year, we have but one piece from the Lowlands, a virtuosic choral work by Amsterdam composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, 1562-1621. He was known as the Orpheus of Amsterdam and he had a couple of other colorful nicknames as well. He was famous primarily as an organist, but he also excelled on the carillon and the harpsichord, and his improvisational skills were legendary. He was internationally renowned as a teacher of organists and was known as the “maker of organists.” He was especially important to German organists and was the teacher of virtually every important organist in the north German organ school of the 17th century, including Jacob Praetorius II, who was the son of Hieronymous Praetorius, one of the composers of our In dulci jubilo suite, the subject of the 4th day’s ramblings. And so it goes.

 There will be plenty of Dutch music in our April concert, Dutch Treat! Vasthouden! Je kunt het! Vrolijk kerstfeest!

An Early Christmas in 7 days.

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec 11, 12, & 13!

On the Fifth Day of Early Christmas My Direc ... Wait! What is that Odor?

Do you remember in “Independence Day” when Will Smith’s character was dragging an alien invader through the desert complaining about how the attack was ruining his July 4th holiday, oh, “AND WHAT IS THAT SMELL???” A little pummeling followed.

Uploaded by justin on 2013-02-16.

Well, don’t worry, the odor that the French noël Quelle est cette odeur agréable refers to is nothing like that. The text is a variant of the annunciation to the shepherds in Luke, focusing on the surprisingly pleasing scents coming from the manger after the birth of the baby Jesus: “Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing, Shepherds, to steal the senses all away?” The tune appears in English sources as early as 1710 so it was probably popular in France for at least a decade before that, probably coming from the late 16th century. It was used (as a drinking song) in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera in 1728, as were a number of melodies that we’ve come to love—more about that later. The song would probably be more well known in the West than it is, but since the title has been translated as Whence is that goodly fragrance, What is this perfume so appealing, What Perfume This? O Shepherds Say!, and a few other hard-to-negotiate-with-a-straight-face lines, it's probably going to remain an uphill battle...

Our arrangement of the tune is in the style of a gentle 17th-century, French Baroque chamber work, with two viols, violin, harp, lute, and flute in support of the tenor soloist, Jeffrey Jones-Ragona. It is really lovely. You should have no problem avoiding mental images of icky smells, alien or otherwise. Here is a teaser from our CD Noël: An Early Christmas, sung by the birthday girl, Stephanie Prewitt (see the Day 1 post):

More tomorrow about how to remove
unpleasant household smells.
Eight days to go.

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, and 13!

On the Fourth Day of Early Christmas … the history of a famous carol!

So there are these carols that many of us have sung since grade school—well, at least back in the old days when we sang them in school—and they are evocative of Dickensian times and visualizations fostered by viewings of many versions of “A Christmas Carol” and Scrooge and Tiny Tim, et al.; of course we didn’t really wonder about the true beginnings of these songs. (By the way, here’s a first: I’ve got a special gift for the first person to correctly name my first solo in school; it was in the 6th-grade Christmas concert. There are those who think I’ve gone downhill since then…)

“Good Christian Men, Rejoice” began as In dulce jubilo, which was taught to the mystic Seuse or Suso by angels in the 14th century. It went through some variations in the 15th and 16th centuries before Michael Praetorius made several settings of it as did many of the other leading composers. The harmonization that is commonly used in hymnals is John Stainer’s (19th century) based on the tune that is found in the Piae Cantiones (Finland, 1582), which happens to be the same source for the Gaudete from Day 3 of our journal.

And why am I mentioning this at all? Because TEMP performs a unique arrangement of In dulci jubilo that no one else anywhere does—as far as I know! Two different imitative settings by Michael Praetorius, one instrumental and one vocal—both are virtuosic—followed by a verse by him in chorale style for four voices and then one for three voices and instruments set by Buxtehude. The fourth verse is a massive 8-voice setting by Hieronymus Praetorius with rich textures and subtle harmonic surprises; we then return to the graceful Buxtehude setting for the ‘coda.' Here is an excerpt from the 8-voice setting from our CD Swete was the Songe.

And then Tiny Tim says, “God bless us, everyone!” Ok, not really. After that 7 minutes of musical calisthenics, we move to the Lowlands for…well, we’ll talk about that tomorrow!

That is all. As you were.
See you in 9-11 days, depending on which concert you come to!

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13.

On the Third Day of Christmas we re-visit a rock band reference!

Today's Treat: Alright, hands up! How many remember the wonderfully gnarly and spirited version of Gaudete that the British folk-rock group Steeleye Span recorded in the 70s? Yes, their pronunciation (“Gau-day-tay”) left choral conductors and educators a little, um, exasperated, but it was mind-bending and really crossed all sorts of cultural lines. They recorded it as a processional with a fade-in, fade-out effect: it was so great. You can hear the pronunciation in all its glory in this video from their 35th Anniversary tour.

TEMP is performing Gaudete again at this year's Christmas concert with just enough changes in the arrangement to keep the performers on their toes. Its origin is a little more veiled than the straightforwardness of the recording might suggest. It was published in 1582 in the Piae Cantiones, a collection in Finland of late Medieval songs from about 1430, many of which were Czech traditional songs. The melody is also known as a 15thc.– 16thc. Czech folksong, as a chorale tune in Germany, and was also used as a grace before meals in Martin Luther’s time.

Though the pronunciation and vocal technique will be more in line with historically informed performance, it will still be spirited and raucous (maybe not too gnarly) and, we think, mind-bending!

An Early Christmas in 10 days. In Austin.
Ex Maria Virginay Gaudaytay!

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13.

On the Second Day of Early Christmas I gave myself a present!

Day #2 of TEMP's 12 Days of Christmas

I’m a big fan of nostalgia. I think it’s good any old time of the year, not just at Christmas time, Halloween, or Super Bowl Sunday! So when I was researching “new” music for this year’s Early Christmas concerts, I found myself thinking back to the mid-eighties (see photo) when a lot of my core early music interests really galvanized. Yes, I know, I was still in grade school, but still….

Anyway, I had never been a fan of the French Baroque; it seemed so snooty and high-falutin’—and then in ’83 or ’84, I heard William Christie’s group Les Arts Florissants and their recording of Charpentier’s Christmas Pastorale and I thought that it was so un-snooty and really entrancing that I should—gasp—consider changing my mind. And then I got to work with Mr. Christie in England in 1985 and he brought two of his singers to the workshop for an intimate concert; the baritone was great but the soprano, Agnès Mellon, reduced a roomful of Brits and Americans to tears in a matter of seconds. No, the song wasn’t a noël; it was a very gentle, non-assuming air de cour by Michel Lambert. (Yes, students of mine, it was that air de cour.) I realized that her singing on the Pastorale album (and subsequent albums as well) played a large part in changing my mind about the French Baroque, as did William Christie. Enjoy this teaser video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNfF9UmRqfI

Back to the present: So I gave myself the gift of scheduling excerpts from the Pastorale for this year’s Xmas concert. And, in a way, it’s my gift to you, this gift of about 7 minutes of joyous, high-falutin’ but very un-snooty and very beautiful French Baroque music for Christmas, with chorus & orchestra & with solos by Jenifer Thyssen and Meredith Ruduski. (And thank you, Agnès Mellon, wherever you are! Your Atys rocked my world.)

Joyeux Noël, y'all!
-Danny

Join us for An Early Christmas In 11 days!

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, & 13!

Here we go - the 42 days of Christmas! Wait - is that right?

There are only 12 days leading up to the first TEMP Christmas concert, and we at TEMP would like to give you our version of the 12 Days of Christmas! Each day, we will present you with an interesting fact, tidbit, or fun story about Early Music. Here we go! 
On the First Day of Early Christmas...

Today's treat, for the 1st Day of Christmas!

Today is Stephanie Prewitt’s birthday! Remember how many times you’ve heard her sing over the last 3.5 decades (and you always want to hear more!) with Texas Early Music Project, La Follia Austin Baroque, New Texas Music Works (later known as Conspirare), the St. Mary Cathedral Schola Cantorum, and many, many other local groups. And then there’s the festivals and ensembles around the globe that have profited from Stephanie’s talents! We are so lucky to have her with us! Maybe a wee blessing for every time she’s brought a little tear to your eye or a rush of thanks to your heart … I know what color she likes, so ask me! For this year’s Christmas concert, her solos include our revival of the Scottish lullaby Balooloo, my lammie and a trio with Meredith & Brett in the Buxtehude section of the In dulci jubilo suite. Here's an excerpt of Stephanie singing Balooloo, my lammie from our CD Stella Splendens: An Early Music Christmas.

Join us for An Early Christmas In 11 days!

More tomorrow!
-Danny

Click to buy tickets for our Christmas concerts on Dec. 11, 12, and 13!

Saint Nick & the Reindeer Games

A shout out to shoeboxblog.com for the reindeer humor!

I am actually happy Meredith didn't ask me what my favorite reindeer games were. (See Meredith's TEMP Holiday Interview!) I've kept it a secret all my life. But since you're wondering now, I'll tell ya: Cupid & Casper skydiving from Santa's sled at 35,000 feet and playing havoc with Norad / UFO watchers all over the world! Donner, Dancer, and Sneezy playing sky frisbee with errant toy drones and making goofy faces at the cameras all the while! Rudolph and Snoopy sneaking into the movies on Christmas Day for a much deserved day off. 

Ok, that's all I got. Now everyone knows. But seriously, check out Meredith's interviews with Scott, Therese, and Jenny and check out the concert listing below! We hope to see you there!

-Danny

An Early Christmas

8pm, Friday, December 11, 2015
First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX

 8pm, Saturday, December 12, 2015
First English Lutheran Church, 3001 Whitis Ave., Austin, TX 

3pm, Sunday, December 13, 2015
First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message, or email info@early-music.org.

It’s time for another Early Christmas! The TEMP Eurotour continues as we explore music and the intangible essence of Christmas from the cultural capitals of Europe from the 13th through 18th centuries. TEMP puts its unique stamp on joyful chants, carols, lullabies, motets, and ballads from Western Europe and the British Isles, where many of the musical traditions we hold dear at Christmastime originated, with innovative arrangements for solo voices, small chorus, harp, violin, flute, mandolin, viols, and lute.

The familiar theme of the Nativity from the shepherds’ perspective, including their wondrous and terrifying experience with the angelic host and their subsequent gathering around the manger to adore the Christ-Child, figures prominently in most early music Christmas repertoire. We will present several works with this focus, including our original arrangement combining elements of two Nativity pastorals from 1684 by Marc-Antoine Charpentier with soloists (Jenifer Thyssen & Meredith Ruduski) and choir with orchestra. Charpentier had a particular ease and love of this repertoire and the results are ravishingly beautiful. 

The theme of the Mother and Child is especially poignant, of course; among the Medieval pieces on the concert, one popular gem is Lullay, lullay: Als I lay on Yoolis night. Its transparent texture and gentle pacing makes the conversation between Mother Mary and the Christ-Child extremely touching, heightened by the polyphony of the choir of angels witnessing the event. Listen to this excerpt from the CD Noël: An Early Christmas:

The popular tune In dulci jubilo, which has origins in the 14th century, went through many variations and revisions in the next 300 years before it became the modern carol Good Christian men, rejoice. We will present a seamless suite with settings by the German composers Michael Praetorius, Hieronymous Praetorius, and Dieterich Buxtehude for 2, 3, 4, & 8 parts. Listen to this excerpt from the CD Swete was the Songe: An Early Music Christmas in Northern Europe & the British Isles:

Motets by Sweelinck and Victoria, and lively works from Spain and France round out our Eurotour before we turn our sights to the west: Our Christmas concerts are never complete without a little taste of Celtic and English influences! Our popular versions of the Christ-Child Lullaby (with its Scots Gaelic solo by Jenifer Thyssen and audience participation) and The Wexford Carol (Cayla Cardiff, soloist) and more are in the program this year, as well as other favorites from the Celtic traditions, including a few sung by the popular Irish Gaelic singer Abby Green. We are again proud to feature nationally acclaimed historical harpist Therese Honey along with featured soloists Jenifer Thyssen, Stephanie Prewitt, Meredith Ruduski, Jenny Houghton, Cayla Cardiff, David Lopez, Brett Barnes, and Daniel Johnson. Our instrumental soloists include Bruce Colson (violin), John Walters and Jane Leggiero (viols), Marcus McGuff (flute), Susan Richter (recorders), and Scott Horton (lutes). 

 Join Texas Early Music Project for a splendid and enriching evening of music.
Encompassing six hundred years of festive creativity and beauty, this music is
sure to delight your ears and warm your heart.

On the road againnnn, from Compostela to College Stationnnnn

And I'm glad we aren't on the road *this* weekend! Really? The strongest storm in history in the Western Hemisphere? Yikes! I hope it doesn't live up to its description ... At any rate, even though we're still dealing with earworms from the Medieval Pilgrimage concert, we are preparing for our annual (since 2010) pilgrimage to St. Thomas Episcopal Church in College Station to present a shorter version of September's popular concert, Convivencia Re-Envisioned: The Three Worlds of Renaissance Spain. If you're in the vicinity and want to re-visit the concert or if you missed it the first time around, then check out the info below and come see us!  Or you could recommend it to your friends in College Station and environs.... News about the Christmas concert is coming up ... 

–Danny

Convivencia Re-Envisioned: The Three Worlds of Renaissance Spain

Sunday, November 8, 2015, 6:30 p.m.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church
906 George Bush Drive, College Station

Please join us for a concert that explores and celebrates the musical relationships among the three great cultures—Muslim, Jewish, and Christian—that co-existed peacefully on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Islamic Spain during these times was an extraordinarily tolerant culture in which learning was prized. In the library of the caliph of Cordoba were at least 40,000 books; most Western monasteries were fortunate to have 400, or even 40! Many works on mathematics, astronomy, physics, and medicine had been translated from Greek, Persian and Hindu sources into Arabic, and these books were, during this time, being translated from Arabic into Latin through the combined efforts of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scholars. Co-operation, Tolerance, Co-existence, Mutual Respect: These were the hallmarks of this extraordinary time. This year marks the fourteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, and since that time we have experienced the brutality of the Islamic State, the horrors of the civil war in Syria, and, in our own country, Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston, and more. The need for true Convivencia is greater than ever; these are qualities much needed in our own day.

This concert will feature Sephardic and Middle-Eastern songs and dances, along with 16th-century Spanish polyphony for voices and instruments, focusing on the intersecting issues of life among these three cultures: Love, dance, food and drink, dreams, secrets and prayers. Featured performers include santur and oud player Kamran Hooshmand (Iran), harpist Therese Honey (Houston), outstanding instrumentalists on psaltery, viols, Renaissance guitar, and other instruments of the period, and outstanding singers. The award-winning Texas Early Music Project is under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Daniel Johnson. The concert will be followed by a Reception in the Parish Hall.

This concert is supported in part by generous grants from the Gilbert and Thyra Plass Arts Foundation and the Joe and Florence Ham Charitable Trust.

Tickets $10/$5 students, at the Door

For more information, please contact Bonnie Harris-Reynolds, Organist & Music Director, St. Thomas Episcopal Church

St. Thomas: music@stthomasbcs.org
Phone: (979) 696-1726 or (979) 696-0452

Earworm / ver de l'épi / Oorwurm / Ohrwurm

© Bob Eckstein, The New Yorker, 6/1/15

Still recovering from the exciting Medieval Pilgrimage concert (by which I mean finishing up my taxes, researching/working on music for the Christmas and Opera concerts and preparations for the upcoming Fall Texas Toot and the TEMP road trip to College Station on November 8 for a short version of September's Convivencia concert) and still having constant, but pleasant, earworms from last weekend's concert. Last night's earworm was the sinuous, interweaving melisma that Cayla and Erin sang at the end of each of the phrases of their duet. Today's is the refrain (again) from Los set goyts and the traded motifs from the duet that Nina and Jenny sang. I'm not complaining, mind you . . . I love it! I hope that you had similarly pleasing earworms!

Thanks to our special guests, our core and quasi-newbie singers and the band—and also to the audience who came to our new venue at St John's Episcopal and the audience who came to one of our "homes" (I think that pretty much covers everyone, right?) and especially our CD winner, Michael Praetorius. He's looking pretty good at almost 400. (You had to be there...)

Thanks to Robert Faires for his kind words (see the hard-copy version of the Austin Chronicle from the ides of October) and special thanks to the next Ohrwurm, whatever it might be...
And thanks for the oncoming Fall, which means that pumpkin *everything* can't be far behind!

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by Robert Faires, Austin Chronicle, 10/16/15

We hope to see you at An Early Christmas, Dec. 11, 12, or 13!  Click on the image below for tickets or visit our Single Tickets page. 

-Danny

Pardon me, boy, is this the Santiago de Compostela Station?

Santiago de Compostela Train Station; photo by David Esteban

Greetings, and many thanks to all who attended our emotion-filled season opener concert, Convivencia Re-Envisioned. The turn-out and the response were both very fulfilling and gratifying. And the response at our little mini-concert at UT was very positive, too; so, again, thanks to the departments who banded together in convivencia to present us.

And—already—we are putting the final touches on the next concert, Medieval Pilgrimage in Iberia, which is just around the bend. As that of our Convivencia concert, the music is still Iberian, but in many different Medieval styles. We, ourselves, will be on a sort of pilgrimage as our Saturday night concert is at a venue that’s new to us! St. John's Episcopal Church is intimate and has lovely acoustics! We think you’ll like it! And then we’re “home” again for the Sunday concert, at First Presbyterian Church. Whether in the new surroundings or in one of our home venues, we think you’ll enjoy this part of our EuroTour!

Learn more about our program below and enjoy the audio teasers!

-Danny

Medieval Pilgrimage in Iberia

 with special guests Mary Springfels (vielle) and Peter Maund (percussion)

8pm, Saturday, October 10, 2015
St. John's Episcopal Church, 11201 Parkfield Drive

3pm, Sunday, October 11, 2015
First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available  in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

Take advantage of preferred seating
by purchasing Season Tickets through Oct. 11!

For more information, call (512) 377-6961.

A company of eleven female singers explores the music of pilgrimage in Medieval Spain. This music celebrates the richly transparent timbre of treble voices in unison or in polyphonic settings, making the most of sweet consonances and pungent dissonances. Special guests Mary Springfels (vielle) and Peter Maund (percussion) join the ensemble and the TEMP Medieval orchestra of vielles, harps, and gittern. Featured soloists include Jenifer Thyssen, Stephanie Prewitt, Cayla Cardiff, Nina Revering, Erin Calata, and more!

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Map showing the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela.

There was never a more popular time for religious pilgrimage than during the Middle Ages. In those times, people made long and dangerous trips, lasting months or years, in a search for spiritual meaning or fulfillment or as an act of penance. Several of the most important sites of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages were located in what is now northern Spain. 

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Llibre Vermell: Stella splendens

The Llibre Vermell (it was discovered in a red binding, and therefore is called the Red Book) comes from the monastery at Montserrat in Catalonia. Some of the music is sophisticated, but some of it was intended to be sung by the pilgrims themselves and included chants, rounds, folk songs, circle dances, and polyphony. We will also perform music from the Cistercian convent in Burgos (Las Huelgas Codex), Las cantigas de Santa Maria from the royal court of Alfonso X, and selections from Codex Calixtinus, from the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

Enjoy these two Llibre Vermell audio teasers from our related CDs: Stella splendens and Sacred.

Whether you are focusing on the music with closed eyes or
silently clapping your hands and tapping your feet,
the long-lasting beauty of our Medieval Pilgrimage will delight you.

September Songs

It might be a long, long time from May to September, but it really whizzed by due to the Texas Toot and the Amherst Early Music Festival and preparations for ... everything! But here we are! The first concert of the season in a few days and it's a doozy, with 2 videos created Dr. Roger L. Martínez-Dávila and guest performers from the east coast and the west coast. And it's all about Coexistence. Convivencia. It's been one of the most popular of our concert themes, so every 5 years or so we re-visit old [musical] friends and add a few new.

Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, 8:00pm (with pre-concert lecture at 7:00pm)
St. Martin's Lutheran Church, 606 W. 15th Street

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, 3:00pm (with pre-concert lecture at 2:00pm)
Temple Beth Shalom, 7300 Hart Lane

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Photo by Cecily Johnson

As a little informative teaser for our Convivencia Re-Envisioned concert, our multi-talented artist and Operations Coordinator, Meredith Ruduski, has created an entertaining and educational video about two instruments that will be featured in our program: the santur and the oud. Enjoy the video below!

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Photo by Cecily Johnson

And to take the edge off the end of August, we had a lovely fundraising party on August 30 at the Wally Workman Gallery on 6th, produced/directed/nurtured by Meredith Ruduski. It was wunderbarlichkeit, thanks to Mer, the Board, and the performers: Meredith, Jenifer, Cayla, Stephanie, Jenny, Jane, Scott, and Marshall! 

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Photo by Cecily Johnson

Onward! Vigilance! Convivencia.
-Danny

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Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets are on sale now!

Sumer is a-halfway done, so let's fiesta!

It's been the largest Amherst Early Music Festival ever, which means your faithful servant has been up to his neck in alligators. At least I was in cool CT instead of hot TX with the cobra. Many fantastico concerts and the opera, good lectures, good music for fun, and good friends. In other words, yo soy muy tired! Cayla Cardiff and her husband Steven Hendrickson have been here to share the fun, along with Austinites Frank Shirley and Lisa Solomon (who was a whiz in the special singing program!)

Back to Austin in a few days to finalize plans for the upcoming September concert and our season opener party, August 30. Venez, y'all!

Come and enjoy the art and ambiance of the intimate Wally Workman Art Gallery with tasty tapas from Whole Foods Market and Austin's legendary food trailer, Mmmpanadas, and wine provided by Total Wine & More while placing your bids on items in the silent auction. You'll also be serenaded by a small ensemble of TEMP's artists who will perform selections from the upcoming Postcards From The Past season! 

To purchase tickets, please visit our Fundraiser page.

And yes, I was supposed to write this little blog-ette a few weeks ago, when "Sumer Is Icumen In" would have been most opportune. Here's a link to this season-appropriate, 13th-century Middle English round. Enjoy your summer and I look forward to seeing many of you on August 30!

-Danny

Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets are on sale now!