If you're a BCRS member, it's FREE. Non-member drop-in is $10.
Voce mea ad Dominum: Music for the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi
Saturday, October 4, 1:00 p.m. ET
October 4 is the feast day for St Francis of Assisi, the famous founder of the Franciscan order. In the medieval and early modern periods, a significant amount of music was written for celebrations of his feast day. This class will focus on works dedicated to or referring to him, ranging from thirteenth-century lauda to motets written by composers as far-ranging as Du Fay, Willaert, Palestrina, Porta, and Tollius. Other works reflecting his love of the environment and in particular animals will also be included. All instruments/voices welcome; intermediate and up. Facsimiles available for those wishing to read from original notation. Pitch: A=440 Hz.
Making Connections: Bow-strokes, phrasing, speech, and song
Saturday, October 4, 3:00 p.m. ET
We hear music as a series of gestures and phrases, but when we learn to play, it is most often note by note. The connections between notes (like connecting syllables into words and sentences) requires paying attention to what happens between one note and the next. By listening to how our voices make these connections, we will find ways to make our bows do the same thing. Class will experiment with a variety of bowing shapes and explore the shapes of texted and non-texted phrases, ending with a group madrigal play-along with the teacher's recording. Open to viol players of all levels. Pitch: A= 415 Hz.
Musical Palindromes and Rhythmic Games
Sunday, October 5, 1:00 p.m. ET
Composers have always enjoyed musical jokes and rhythmic games - writing compositions back to front and upside down, until your brain is inside out! We will get to understand pieces by composers including Guillame de Machaut, Johannes Ciconia, Josquin Deprez, and more. A fun intellectual exercise, but most importantly, beautiful music. Open to all recorders, or any instrument reading in C. Parts will be a mixture of treble and bass clef. Pitch: A=440Hz.
Agnes Coakley Cox and Nathaniel Cox
The Sweet Marriage of Voice and Lute
Sunday, October 5, 3:00 p.m. ET
Agnes Coakley Cox and Nathaniel Cox have been directing their ensemble for 17th-century music, In Stile Moderno, since 2012. In this lecture-demonstration, they will share solo song repertoire from Italy and England, and discuss the most significant elements of performance practice and rehearsal technique that they have discovered and refined as a duo over the years. Topics will include: tactus as a practical tool for setting a tempo, staying together, and finding rhythmic freedom; working with foreign languages and historical pronunciation of English; ornamentation; using facsimiles; considerations for lutenists; and tips for how to communicate to your duo partner. There will also be time for a Q&A.
This is a lecture demo style class, open to all but aimed specifically towards singers and plucked instrumentalists/continuo players. Pitch: A=440.
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/
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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.
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Meeting Fees:
$20 per meeting for members
$30 per meeting for non-members
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FULL SEASON PREPAYMENT OPTION: $180. Includes annual membership dues and meeting fees for the entire 2025-26 season.
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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.
"Nuts and Bolts: Introduction to Practical Music Theory for Recorder Players"Have you been bored or confused by music theory? Feel like you’re missing something but don’t know what it is? Music theory isn’t an arcane dark art; it’s just the systems and vocabulary we use to describe and identify the patterns and relationships in the music we play. A few theory basics can help you sight read better, learn pieces faster, and communicate with your colleagues more efficiently. In this session we’ll demystify this frequently intimidating topic and get you going on the path toward theory literacy!
Open to all levels and all instrument sizes but reading treble clef is recommended.
Meeting of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra
September 30, October 7, 14, and 21
1:15 pm- 2:30 pm PT/2:15 pm – 3:30 pm MT/3:15 pm – 4:30 pm CT/4:15 pm – 5:30 pm ET (note the 15 minute earlier time than usual!)
In this 4-session class we'll start each session on a technique warm-up, then each week we’ll work on sections of a new piece, making a brief survey of repertoire for the recorder player. We’ll focus on effective practice methods for all pieces. For intermediate and up alto and soprano (or tenor) recorder players. Pitch: a=440.
Repertoire - Medieval: dance tune La Quarta Estampie Royal, 16th century: diminutions on Anchor che col partire by Bassano, 17th century: sonata by Frescobaldi, 18th century: Handel Sonata in F major.
$100 for all three classes. Classes will be recorded and available to stream for one month. To learn how to register, please write to Tish at tishberlin@sbcglobal.net. Music will be sent as PDFs one week before first class.
While beloved in the Renaissance as a solo instrument, the lute was often employed by the finest lutenists to double their pleasure in duets. Trading passages back and forth, the dueling lutenists would challenge each other with increasingly dazzling feats of virtuosity. Two of today’s finest lutenists, Ronn McFarlane and Paul O’Dette, take up this thrilling tradition in a duo recital showcasing works from Italy and England where the lute duet achieved its greatest heights. These sought-after lutenists, both Grammy nominees or their solo recordings, come together for a program of lyrically beautiful and intricately ornamented music by Terzi, Galilei, Piccinini, Johnson, Danyel, and others.
The workshop will explore tunes from our “Scottish Fiddle Tunes for Two." This curated collection contains 42 traditional Scottish tunes arranged for two players.
The Workshops will be on Tuesday, October 14, 7 PM, Central Time, Wednesday, October 15, 10 AM, Central Time, and Friday, October 17, 7 PM, Central Time. Different tunes will be played at each session. We will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these tunes.
September 30, October 7, 14, and 21
1:15 pm- 2:30 pm PT/2:15 pm – 3:30 pm MT/3:15 pm – 4:30 pm CT/4:15 pm – 5:30 pm ET (note the 15 minute earlier time than usual!)
In this 4-session class we'll start each session on a technique warm-up, then each week we’ll work on sections of a new piece, making a brief survey of repertoire for the recorder player. We’ll focus on effective practice methods for all pieces. For intermediate and up alto and soprano (or tenor) recorder players. Pitch: a=440.
Repertoire - Medieval: dance tune La Quarta Estampie Royal, 16th century: diminutions on Anchor che col partire by Bassano, 17th century: sonata by Frescobaldi, 18th century: Handel Sonata in F major.
$100 for all three classes. Classes will be recorded and available to stream for one month. To learn how to register, please write to Tish at tishberlin@sbcglobal.net. Music will be sent as PDFs one week before first class.
The workshop will explore tunes from our “Scottish Fiddle Tunes for Two." This curated collection contains 42 traditional Scottish tunes arranged for two players.
The Workshops will be on Tuesday, October 14, 7 PM, Central Time, Wednesday, October 15, 10 AM, Central Time, and Friday, October 17, 7 PM, Central Time. Different tunes will be played at each session. We will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these tunes.
The workshop will explore tunes from our “Scottish Fiddle Tunes for Two." This curated collection contains 42 traditional Scottish tunes arranged for two players.
The Workshops will be on Tuesday, October 14, 7 PM, Central Time, Wednesday, October 15, 10 AM, Central Time, and Friday, October 17, 7 PM, Central Time. Different tunes will be played at each session. We will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these tunes.
To add an agenda item, please email Administrative Director Susan Burns at director@americanrecorder.org.
Sign up to receive a link to attend the ARS Annual Meeting, held this year via Zoom, on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. You will receive a link to the Zoom meeting, both in your confirmation email and in a reminder email closer to the event.
Meeting of the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra.
He will present A Century of Symmetry and Song (1430-1530) Part 1.
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.
All are welcome! SATB Recorders, A=440hz
September 30, October 7, 14, and 21
1:15 pm- 2:30 pm PT/2:15 pm – 3:30 pm MT/3:15 pm – 4:30 pm CT/4:15 pm – 5:30 pm ET (note the 15 minute earlier time than usual!)
In this 4-session class we'll start each session on a technique warm-up, then each week we’ll work on sections of a new piece, making a brief survey of repertoire for the recorder player. We’ll focus on effective practice methods for all pieces. For intermediate and up alto and soprano (or tenor) recorder players. Pitch: a=440.
Repertoire - Medieval: dance tune La Quarta Estampie Royal, 16th century: diminutions on Anchor che col partire by Bassano, 17th century: sonata by Frescobaldi, 18th century: Handel Sonata in F major.
$100 for all three classes. Classes will be recorded and available to stream for one month. To learn how to register, please write to Tish at tishberlin@sbcglobal.net. Music will be sent as PDFs one week before first class.
Stacey Boal delves into the rich recorder repertoire to present a lively selection of English country dances perfectly suited to the season’s spooky spirit. She’s even arranged new versions of the ghoulish classics “The Wyche” and “The Black Nag.”
Adding to the eerie festivities, Stacey brings in some unearthly spirit hoedown music by Norman Cazden, a student of Aaron Copland. We’ll play a variety of pieces—ranging from easy to more challenging, old to new.
Don’t resist—join the fun!
DANCE FEVER!From an earthy medieval estampie, to an energetic 17th century English country dance tune, an elegant Baroque Sarabande, a fiery Italian Tarantella, and possibly even a 20th century pop song - our NAVRS October playing meeting is all about sampling dance music throughout the ages!
Enhance your technique and ensemble playing during an intensive workshop with directors Letitia Berlin & Lawrence Lipnik, plus other stellar faculty. Two fabulous weeks - choose either week or both! Week# 1 October 26 - November 1, 2025. Week #2 November 2 - 8, 2025.
Revel in the lyrical sounds of the recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord, dulcian & shawm as you share your musical gifts during a week-long intensive early music workshop. Enhance your skills in small classes taught by expert instructors with emphasis on improving technique and playing with ensembles. At Hidden Valley Music Seminars, An Institute of the Arts, nestled amongst oak and buckeye trees below majestic hillsides, enjoy a serene and inspiring place for playing music in the world famous Monterey/Carmel area.
Technique classes geared toward application of technique, practice to the repertoire – making music out of notes! Master class and consort classes. The 2025 theme is currently TBD and will be announced once available.
We are excited to announce the continuation of Medieval Mondays taught by NAVRS music director Annette Bauer - thank you for your continued interest in medieval music!The Medieval Mondays Fall Edition 2025 runs from September to December in four sessions.
Each class will focus on a particular medieval topic, composer, or musical source. A brief overview of the historical context is followed by a selection of music to discover and play together. Scores will be available for registered participants a week ahead of each class. Play-along files will be created on recorders.
Medieval Mondays will take place on zoom on the following dates, always from 12:30-2pm Eastern:
- September 8: Medieval Rounds and Grounds
- October 27: Medieval Bestiary
- November 17: La Spagna
- December 15: Early 15th century English Carols
Each class will focus on a particular medieval topic, composer, or musical source. A brief overview of the historical context is followed by a selection of music to discover and play together. Scores will be available for registered participants a week ahead of each class. Play-along files will be created on recorders.
Medieval Mondays will take place on zoom on the following dates, always from 12:30-2pm Eastern:
--September 8: Medieval rounds and grounds
--October 27: Medieval Bestiary
--November 17: La Spagna
--December 15: Early 15th century English Carols
Each Zoom meeting will be recorded and will stay viewable on demand until one full month after the final session of the series. Come join in on this musical time-travel on Mondays from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern time. The course fee of $80 includes all 4 live sessions and the recordings.