This course will use the following method book which provides excellent methodical exercises to learn fingerings, while providing simple tunes to satisfy the soul!
The Sweet Pipes Recorder Book: A method for adults and older beginners by Gerald Burakoff and William E. Hettrick. Soprano, Book One.
Dates:
Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT, 5:00pm MT, 4:00pm PT)
Thursday, April 16 at 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT, 5:00pm MT, 4:00pm PT)
Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT, 5:00pm MT, 4:00pm PT)
Thursday, April 23 at 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT, 5:00pm MT, 4:00pm PT)
Each session will comprise ~35 minutes of instructional time, followed by ~10 minutes for questions
Students will need to purchase a copy of the "Sweet Pipes" Recorder book (links below) for the class.
Do you need to purchase an instrument? You cannot go wrong with a good plastic recorder—they can actually sound better than a poor wooden one! Yamaha and Aulos make very good plastic sopranos. For tenors: Yamaha provides an exceptional tone, while Aulos is lighter-weight with a smaller reach. Consider purchasing an instrument from one of our business partners:
Von Huene Workshop (The Early Music Shop of New England), Boston, MA: (617) 277-8690
Honeysuckle Music, St. Paul, MN: (651) 644-8545
Lazar's Early Music, Carson City, NV: (866) 511-2981
Recorderforge.com, Happy Valley, OR: (503) 210-1643
The Von Huene Workshop & Honeysuckle Music also offer the Sweet Pipes Recorder book.
The Farallon Recorder Quartet, featuring stellar instructors and players Miyo Aoki, Frances Blaker, Tish Berlin, and Vicki Boeckman, will be leading an extra-special 2026 NW Recorder Meet on April 18 at Sand Point Community UMC, 4710 NE 70th St, Seattle. They will not only teach, inspire, and conduct us in a full day of playing sessions, but also play a concert in the evening. The concert will be open to the public as well as to Meet attendees.
HEMIOLA - April 2026
Announcing the next Philadelphia Recorder Society In-person and Virtual Playing Session
Saturday, April 18, 2026
led by Rainer Beckmann.
Cathedral Village, 600 East Cathedral Road, Philadelphia, PA
Playing begins at 10:00 AM.
We're meeting in Cathedral Hall, which is located across from the entrance to the main Cathedral Village building. Please arrive in plenty of time to find suitable parking, greet friends, and set up your instruments so we can start playing promptly at 10 AM. Visitors are welcome.
For those who can't join in person, we'll be streaming our playing session over Zoom. The Zoom meeting will open at 9:30 AM and we'll start playing at 10 AM. Members will receive a Zoom link via email, usually one day before we meet.
From Music Director Rainer Beckmann
Dear Friends,
This month's playlist features music from five centuries in a colorful mix of styles and genres. Perhaps not surprisingly, it is loosely inspired by the arrival of spring. As the final piece, the playlist includes the newest publication from the American Recorder Society's Members' Library Editions. Many of you will have recently received Cloud Jaunt by Glen Shannon as a supplement to American Recorder.
This year, for the first time, we will present our informal annual concert for Cathedral Village residents during the April playing session. From 10:00 to 11:15 AM, we will first rehearse the pieces on the playlist (concert program). The performance will then begin at 11:30 AM.
Please feel free to invite family and friends to join us for this special occasion!
With warmest regards,
Rainer Beckmann
A Colorful Spring Bouquet
- Amours, amours [Rondeau], Hayne van Ghizeghem (c.1445 - c.1497)
- Saltavan Ninfe, Satiri e Pastori [Canzonetta], Orazio Vecchi (1550 - 1605)
- Heres paternus [Pavan], Anthony Holborne (c.1545 - 1602)
- Muy linda [Galliard], Anthony Holborne (c.1545 - 1602)
- Sinfonia 4, Leonora Duarte (1610 - 1678)
- Bourrée and Minuet from Water Music Suite No. 2, George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759)
- Cloud Jaunt (2025), Glen Shannon
Exploring and experimenting with jazz melodies, rhythms, and improvisations on the recorder. No matter if this is your first time as a participant in Tali's workshop on performing jazz on recorders, or if you have already taken one or both of her previous NAVRS workshop offerings in past years, there will be something new to explore for everyone! Come unleash your inner jazzer!In this workshop we will revisit some basic concepts (swing, rhythm, scales), as well as try to tackle a famous jazz standard with harmony which is a bit more complex.
Tone and Phrasing - Alto Recorder with Dan MeyersContinue your alto recorder study with this Second Level course from the American Recorder Society. This course is a continuation of the beginners' course offered in March. We'll build on the skills we discussed in the first class, and discuss ways to make your airstream more reliable and your sound more beautiful and consistent across the range of the instrument. We'll also look at how to combine a variety of articulations to create musical phrases, and learn some exercises to increase your finger coordination and speed, all while exploring some great repertoire!
Attendees are expected to be able to play low F to high C (an octave and a 5th) including Bb, B natural, and F#, and read those notes and general rhythmic patterns, down to the level of the 8th note, on the music staff. All music will be provided. You don't need to be confident, just familiar with the notes and fingerings; we'll work on increasing your comfort level over the course of the classes.
Course Dates:
Tuesday, April 21st at 6PM ET (5PM CT, 4PM MT, 3PM PT)
Tuesday, April 22nd at 6PM ET (5PM CT, 4PM MT, 3PM PT)
Tuesday, April 28th at 6PM ET (5PM CT, 4PM MT, 3PM PT)
Wednesday, April 29th at 6PM ET (5PM CT, 4PM MT, 3PM PT)
This class is available at no charge to ARS members, only. When registering, use the email address associated with your ARS membership. If you are not an ARS member, you may click HERE to join. These classes are limited in size to allow for more interaction between the teacher and students. If you have already taken two or more of our Second Level classes, please wait until one week prior to the start of class to sign up, in order to allow a larger number of people to take advantage of these opportunities.
Join us for a series of Consort Studio Workshops in central New Jersey, monthly sessions in ensemble playing for intermediate to advanced level recorder players to learn to play with one another and other instruments under a skilled conductor, with professional accompaniment.
These events will be led by conductor, recorder player, and harpsichordist, Steven Russell (see below). It is an opportunity to play a variety of Baroque literature for small ensembles, through rehearsal, instruction, and demonstration, in a supportive environment, with a focus on ensemble playing, and end with the option to play the lead alto part with a professional ensemble. We will have opportunities to warm up on Renaissance music with SATB recorders, so bring all sizes. Register early to receive the music well in advance. Auditors welcome to attend. Sessions culminate in a performance.
Dates: One Saturday of the month, 1:00 – 5:00 P.M. w/ a 15-min. break
Nov. 8, 2025 Open for General Registration. A Taste of Things to Come
Jan. 10, 2026 Feb. 28, 2026 March 14, 2026 April 25, 2026
May 9, 2026 Workshop-Rehearsal June 13 Oct. 10 Nov. 14, 2026
Location: Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South Second Avenue, Highland Park, NJ. There is plenty of parking at the location, which is a 30-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from the New Brunswick NJT train station.
To register, Visit https://hprecorder.org/events/2026-consort-studio/. For more information contact recorderdonna@gmail.com
Join us for “Medieval Gems,” an inspiring session with Tom Beets and Joris Van Goethem of the Flanders Recorder Duo.Step into the colorful sound world of the 14th and 15th centuries as we explore a carefully curated selection of late medieval masterpieces. From the chant-inspired polyphony of O Virgo Splendens (Libre Vermell) to the English elegance of John Dunstable’s Quam Pulchra Es, and concluding with the festive, fanfare-like energy of Propinan de Melyor, this session promises contrast, depth, and musical joy.
The repertoire is suitable for various recorders (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass), with flexible options to adapt parts to your instrument.
Presented by Héloise Degrugillier, in this online workshop, we will explore music by Johann Mattheson from his first opus through the lens of musical rhetoric. We will examine how affect, gesture, and rhetorical figures inform phrasing, articulation, and ensemble dialogue, with the goal of making the music speak clearly and persuasively.
Music for 2-3 altos by Mattheson will include
- 2 Gigues,
- Sonata No. 7
- Sonata No. 1
All are welcome! We will be using alto recorders. A=440hz
Ready to take your recorder playing to the next level? Join recorder player and teacher Teresa Deskur to find out what happens after "B-A-G"! We'll build on skills from the Beginner Level course, explore the high and low registers, enjoy ensemble music, and further develop your technique. Players should feel comfortable with low C up to 4th line D, and be able to read these notes on the staff. We will use a combination of provided music and Sweet Pipes vol. 1 (soprano). Let's make some music together!
Dates:
Tuesday, April 28th at 7PM ET (6PM CT, 5PM MT, 4PM PT)
Thursday, April 30th at 7PM ET (6PM CT, 5PM MT, 4PM PT)
Tuesday, May 5th at 7PM ET (6PM CT, 5PM MT, 4PM PT)
Thursday, May 7th at 7PM ET (6PM CT, 5PM MT, 4PM PT)
The Von Huene Workshop & Honeysuckle Music offer the Sweet Pipes Recorder book, required for this class.
The Phoenix Desert Pipes invites you to
The Water is Wide
with Anne Timberlake
Saturday, May 2-Sunday, May 3, 2026
Feeling landlocked? Set sail on a full-day voyage of exploration, playing the musical byways of Renaissance and Baroque Europe. We'll explore music about water in its many incarnations and investigate how ideas of flow can improve our playing. Works by Palestrina, Telemann, Lasso, and more.
Schedule & Location:
Workshop sessions with Anne Timberlake
Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, May 3, 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Location
McDowell Center
16116 N. McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd
Scottsdale 85255
Workshop Fee: Early registration discount deadline is March 28, 2026.
Medieval Mondays runs from February to May in four sessions. Each class will focus on a particular medieval topic, composer, or musical source. The sessions include a brief overview of the composer and information about the music’s historical context then a selection of music to discover and play. Scores will be available for registered participants a week ahead of each class. Medieval Mondays will take place on the following dates, always from 12:30-2pm Eastern:
- Feb 9: Chansonnier Cordiforme - 15th Century Songs of Love
- Mar 16: O Fortuna! Songs from the Carmina Burana
- Apr 13: “Eye Music” - Music Written in Extraordinary Notation
- May 4: Composer’s Portrait: Gilles Binchois - A Musical Miniaturist Please note: If you miss a session, each Zoom meeting will be recorded and will stay available and on demand until one full month after the final class
This class will trace a tradition of composers crafting songs from symmetrical patterns, including numerical symmetries in numbers of pitches, melodic symmetries like palindromes and passages that are identical to their own retrograde inversion, contrapuntal symmetries in which a voice is consonant against its own retrograde or retrograde inversion, and even magic squares in which all four permutations of a melody can be played simultaneously to make consonant counterpoint. These devices are hidden in lovely songs and compositions by three generations of composers from Gilles Binchois to Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin Deprez, and Antoine Brumel. In Part 2 we will explore these devices in the songs of Binchois and anonymous composers, and ask ourselves whether their use of these devices can lead to our identifying the origins of the anonymous composers.
All are welcome! SATB Recorders, A=440hz
The workshop will explore tunes from our French Fiddle Tunes for Two book. This collection of 37 traditional French tunes offer you the opportunity to play many different dance forms, including a couple of bourées, mazurkas, as well as a branle, a farandole, a galop, a schottische, and a tarantella. These charming pieces are from several regions of France, including Alsace, Auvergne, Brittany, Flanders, and Gascogne.
Recorderist, orchestra member, and conductor Marea Chernoff will lead this full-day workshop, guiding participants into the vibrant world of the recorder orchestra. The selected repertoire includes works by Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Satie and more, offering something for everyone.
Join us for a series of Consort Studio Workshops in central New Jersey, monthly sessions in ensemble playing for intermediate to advanced level recorder players to learn to play with one another and other instruments under a skilled conductor, with professional accompaniment.
These events will be led by conductor, recorder player, and harpsichordist, Steven Russell (see below). It is an opportunity to play a variety of Baroque literature for small ensembles, through rehearsal, instruction, and demonstration, in a supportive environment, with a focus on ensemble playing, and end with the option to play the lead alto part with a professional ensemble. We will have opportunities to warm up on Renaissance music with SATB recorders, so bring all sizes. Register early to receive the music well in advance. Auditors welcome to attend. Sessions culminate in a performance.
Dates: One Saturday of the month, 1:00 – 5:00 P.M. w/ a 15-min. break
Nov. 8, 2025 Open for General Registration. A Taste of Things to Come
Jan. 10, 2026 Feb. 28, 2026 March 14, 2026 April 25, 2026
May 9, 2026 Workshop-Rehearsal June 13 Oct. 10 Nov. 14, 2026
Location: Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South Second Avenue, Highland Park, NJ. There is plenty of parking at the location, which is a 30-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from the New Brunswick NJT train station.
To register, Visit https://hprecorder.org/events/2026-consort-studio/. For more information contact recorderdonna@gmail.com
Bring any size of soprano, alto, tenor, or bass recorder that you have. You will have a chance to explore more than one part of each piece. Both plastic and wooden instruments are welcome. Pitch is A=440.
Please bring a music stand. We recommend that you bring a stand light to supplement the ceiling light.
More info: https://www.nyrg.org/
---
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at 145 West 46th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan. Meetings are held in St. Joseph’s Hall, a side chapel of St. Mary's. Located in a brick building to the left of the main church, the entranceway is distinguished by the street number 145 displayed on the door.
1:30-3:30 PM. Doors open at 1PM.
---
Meeting Fees:
$20 per meeting for members
$30 per meeting for non-members
-----
FULL SEASON PREPAYMENT OPTION: $180. Includes annual membership dues and meeting fees for the entire 2025-26 season.
-----
Send payment using Zelle to NYRG treasurer Judith Wink at jwink@nyc.rr.com. Please put your email address in the Notes field. Alternatively, send checks to New York Recorder Guild, 145 West 93rd Street, Apt. 2, New York, NY 10025.
Please join the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra for its 2026 Spring Concert in Redwood City. Established in 1962, MPRO was the first recorder orchestra in the United States, and has been directed by Frederic Palmer since 1988. (NB: This performance will be conducted by assistant director, Greta Haug-Hryciw.)
Selections will include Vivaldi's Recorder Concerto in C (RV443), works by Schmelzer, Dufay, Josquin, Vejvanovsky, and more. Other instruments joining the recorders are bassoon, oboe, baroque rackett, krumhorns, and keyboard. The program also features a very special appearance by local recorder quartet DJLD performing J.S. Bach's Lobet den Herrn (BWV230)
Admission is FREE!
Families are welcome
Free-will donations are gratefully accepted
https://www.mpro-online.org/
MPRO is an Orchestra member of the American Recorder Society
and an affiliate of the San Francisco Early Music Society
Echoes of the Crescent: Music of the Ottoman World