Workshop directed by Tim Bayley
Gloucester Cathedral, 29th February 2020
What a joyful day! Tim provided a fabulous programme of music on the theme of Exultate and Laudate, beginning with a piece for 24 parts, Handl’s Laudate Domine, that was fairly straightforward and sounded great. We then progressed through pieces on the same theme, by Hassler, Lechner, H Praetorius, and Vulpius, in 12-, 15- and 16- parts. What a rare pleasure to play such grand music, with skilled fellow musicians, held to tempo and coaxed through by a good conductor, in the sympathetic acoustic of the Parliament Room of Gloucester Cathedral.
Tim skilfully divided the massed forces of recorders, reeds and brass into different choirs, took us through the music and then broke it down into sections to work it up a little. This meant that the recorders could (mostly) hear themselves, we could all listen as well as play, and some of the more complex pieces that appeared daunting at first gradually came satisfyingly under the fingers.
Unobtrusively and efficiently organised by Fenella, the day went really well and I can’t wait for the next one, as Tim has much more music along the same lines!
– Nicky May