HPRS and Musica Dolce Perform at 11th Annual Festival of the Guild for Early Music
the Zorzal Ensemble and the Practitioners of Musick – were among 14 regional groups that offered music from the 12th through 18th centuries at the 11 iteration of this annual event at the Grounds for Sculpture.
The Highland Park Recorder Society
Musica Dolce
Among 14 groups Featured at October 2015 Event
Hamilton, NJ, October 18, 2015
Extemporaneous Duet
At this year’s affectionately-termed early-instrument “Pettting Zoo” -- “a time for people to come up and touch or try to play selected instruments and speak to musicians about them” -- according to HPRS Director Donna Messer, a serendipitous mini-concert arose.
Waiting in the wings as Gloria Consort Director Orum Stringer concluded a mini-talk on tenor, bass and great-bass recorders, I thought, ‘How nice it would be to offer a duet, with Orum and I collaborating to perform part of Le Premiere Suite de Piece by Hotteterre Le Romaine. So we played part of the Passacaille near the end of the piece, [which] we had worked on -- the tricky trills and rhythms, the phrasing and ensemble sound” for a short while the day before. “When we finished, a man rushed up saying, ‘Oh, that was so beautiful! How long have you been playing together?’ We answered, ‘The first time we ever played together was yesterday.’”
The Guild for Early Music, Inc. is a public charitable consortium of music ensembles of central New Jersey and neighboring Pennsylvania. visit guildforearlymusic.org.
The Grounds for Sculpture (GFS) is a forty-two acre not-for-profit sculpture park and arboretum located midway between Philadelphia and New York City, founded by Seward Johnson. Its collection features more than 270 contemporary sculptures by renowned and emerging artists. Seasonally-changing exhibits, rich educational offerings, and a robust schedule of performing arts, and fun family events, the park is open year-round, with shopping and dining options. complement every visit. For hours, admission prices, and a calendar of events, visit www.groundsforsculpture.org.
