Early Music Week at Pinewoods

Are you passionate about Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, especially as revived and played on period instruments? Do you also love nature and being in community with others? If so, this is the week for you!

Early Music Week offers joyful opportunities and challenges to players, singers, dancers, and listeners at every level, from novice to highly experienced. As classes unfold through the week, we explore and discover the connections that lie behind some of the world’s most vibrant and compelling early music. We dance together every day, connecting with dancers and musicians in a unique and spontaneous way, so different from a class or a concert hall — in the pavilions under the pine trees.

Work and Play

At Early Music Week, instrumentalists can focus intensively on their primary instruments, enjoy the opportunity to play with others in mixed ensembles, yet also find time to explore something completely new. Singers can delve into early music repertoire in small groups, sing in a chorus or collegium, or try an introductory instrumental class. Everyone is invited to enjoy English country dancing, with instruction during the day for all levels. The week also features an English dance band class, evening lectures on early music topics, a dedicated space for our LGBTQ+ community to meet and talk, an outstanding faculty concert, and various performing opportunities for our participants. The daily family-style meals are delicious!

Classes meet daily from Sunday to Friday. There are four class periods each day. Second period offers English dance classes for everyone. 

Trailblazers & Renegades

This summer, we’ll explore the work of artists who defied expectations in order to share their ideas. They challenged authority, broke the “rules,” spoke truth to power, and changed the status quo in the process. We’ll consider points in time when music forged a new path with daring chromaticism, scandalous texts, or unexpected new compositional forms. Plenty of composers, scientists, and philosophers made good trouble for the sake of their art, but there were also the regular folks who got into predicaments! Whether lofty or mundane, in every century musicians have found a way to turn assumptions upside down and pave the way for new ideas. 

This year we offer two large-scale projects. By hugely popular demand, Medieval Collegium returns under the guidance of Niccolo Seligmann and Ben Matus, this year exploring the spicy 14th-c. Roman de Fauvel. Jumping forward two centuries, Christa Patton and Michael Barrett will lead Monteverdi’s “Tirsi e Clori” for voices, baroque instruments, and lavish continuo band.

We can’t wait to share the week with you!

~Karen Burciaga, Program Director

Arrival & Departure

Saturday Arrival Schedule:

Saturday Departure Schedule: 

Draft Daily Schedule

Period 1

Instrumental and vocal consorts grouped by level (B to A)

Beginner to Advanced: Recorder, viol, voice, violin/viola, mixed instruments, and advanced Baroque ensemble. Beginning and intermediate voice classes will include rhythmic, interval and sight-reading exercises to strengthen the students’ musicianship.

Harplines (All levels, harp) – Christa Patton

Harpers were storytellers, and were often very close to people in powerful positions. In the 14^th century, one harper was given armor and accompanied the King into battle providing entertainment for him in the evenings! Learn a few new melodies, some pointers to help your playing and, if we feel like it, perhaps tell a story together with our harps.

Introduction to the Recorder (B, recorders) – Ben Matus

This friendly session will introduce you to that most beloved of instruments, the recorder! Intended for those with little or no recorder experience, by week’s end the class will have you feeling good about the basics and ready to play simple, satisfying tunes.

Advanced Vocal Ensemble (A, voices) – Michael Barrett

For experienced singers, this class will work on a variety of issues, including vocal technique, interpretation, strategies for successful ensemble music-making, overcoming performance anxiety, and other issues that participants are interested in exploring. Join us if you’re interested in feeling better about singing on your own and singing together!

Sight-Transposition Boot Camp (LI-I+, all instruments) – Niccolo Seligmann

The piece is written in D, but the singer can’t sing it in any key higher than C. What do you do? This common situation has many bad solutions, but only one good solution: develop the skills to transpose on sight. Different strategies work for different people, but all of these strategies require a great deal of repetition. It’s not glamorous work, but once you can do it, you can always do it, and your singer will thank you.

Tracking the Tempestuous Triple Time Tunes (I-A, all instruments) – Jacqueline Schwab

In this English dance band class, we’ll explore 3/2, 9/8 and 3/4 dance tunes, emphasizing improvisation to serve and uplift the dancers. We’ll create simple, vigorous basslines for 17^th-c. triple time hornpipes, find alternate melodic paths for nuanced 18^th-c. minuets, attempt perpetual motion for 18^th-c. slip jigs, and lilt the melodies for 19^th-c. waltzes. All are welcome who are able to play dance tunes up to tempo. Out of a pool of pieces, each student can pick some for individual work at their own playing level, plus the group will play some repertoire together. Modern pitch and style. 

Period 2

English Country Dancing: An Introduction, and Then On We Go! (B) – Jan Elliott

On Sunday and Monday, we’ll start with the basics so that you can then join Melissa’s class and enjoy the evening dances for the whole week.

Introduction to English Country Dancing (B and up)  – Melissa Running with Frances Fitch and Karen Burciaga

If you want to expand your English Country Dance experience, this class is for you. We’ll review some figures and vocabulary so you feel confident on the dance floor. We’ll learn a variety of dances and focus on style and the pleasure of dancing well, dancing with each other, and enjoying each other’s company, while seeing how the music informs the choreography.

Experienced ECD (A) – Tom Roby with Jacqueline Schwab and Emily O’Brien

English Country Dance has tunes and choreographies from across the centuries. We’ll sample the collection, appreciating its range and the characters of individual dances. This class will offer a wide array of English Country Dance’s gems, familiar and unfamiliar, historical and modern. Some dances will offer new challenges, but above all we will focus on the fun of dancing well together and the pleasure of supporting our fellow dancers. Prior ECD experience needed.

Period 3

Medieval Collegium: The Roman de Fauvel (All levels, all voices and instruments) – Niccolo Seligmann & Ben Matus

The Roman de Fauvel remains one of the greatest and most influential works of the early 14th century. This massive work tells the story of Fauvel, an evil orange donkey whom Lady Fortune gives supreme power, who causes havoc and misery for the people. Not only was the Roman de Fauvel a scathing critique of the ruling class, it also was a pioneering work of the burgeoning ars nova style. Explore some of the spiciest monophonic and polyphonic songs from this monumental work. This special project will have the chance to perform on Friday before the participants’ concert. 

Trailblazing within Your Miraculous Body (All levels, all singers, dancers, & instrumentalists) – Frances Fitch

Explore the amazing machine that is your body: how it’s put together and designed to move. Learn ways to use it to make music with ease and freedom, avoiding the paths of pain and injury.

Did Somebody Say Pious? (B-I, recorders, flutes, viols) – Héloīse Degrugillier

Nope. Our 16th-c. friend Claudin de Sermisy wanted to entertain all kinds of different….feelings. In this class, we will explore some of the standard church music that was the expectation at the time, then we’ll contrast it with music that was definitely NOT to be listened to in church. Shhhh….. 

The Book of Rogues (LI and up, all voices and instruments) – Karen Burciaga & Christa Patton

Explore the broadside ballads of early modern London. Basically the TikTok of its time, the 17th-c. broadside (a large, single sheet of paper sold for a penny) shared the very latest song texts ranging from entertaining stories to political news and religious rants, and were to be sung to familiar tunes–very often dance tunes. This class explores a humorous selection of ballads about people facing predicaments such as the lure of strong liquor, the dangers of gambling, and the woes of taking tobacco. We’ll hear caveats for tipplers and pickpockets, gently mock the Puritans leaving for New England, and share alarming tales of seduction, adultery, and bagpipes. We’ll look at original sources and discuss how to match tunes to texts, flesh out a simple melody, and be creative with instrumentation and delivery. What’s the “right way” to perform these ballads? That’s entirely up to you! 

Making their Way in a Strange Land: Elizabethan Composers in Exile (I and up, viols) – Lisa Terry

Richard Dering, John Dowland, Peter Phillips, John Bull and other Catholic composers chose to leave England rather than face persecution at home. As they plied their talents in the courts of the Continent, they shared ideas with composers such as Jan Pierterszoon Sweelinck, Girolamo Frescobaldi, and with each other. We will explore the repertoire that developed from these fertile cross-connections between English and Continental styles.

Nun Such (I-UI, recorders, flutes, strings) – Eric Haas

We’ll explore vocal and instrumental works from convents including music of Claudia Rusca, Rafaella Aleotti, Caterina Assandra, Isabella Leonarda, and others. At a time when the study of music was considered “unsuitable” for most women, 17th-c. Italian convents held fast and instead fostered the nuns’ incredible talents. Many were quite prolific in their output; we’ll look at a variety of compositions and get to know their unique voices. 

King of Insight: The Music of Galileo’s Life and Times (UI-A, voices, loud winds, recorders, viols) – Michael Barrett & Dan Meyers

Known for his bold scientific defense of heliocentrism, astronomer Galileo Galilei rearranged the music of the spheres and challenged the dogma of the Catholic church. He was the son of famous lutenist and anti-polyphony curmudgeon Vincenzo Galilei, and was reputed to be a fair musician himself. Living in Venice, he made his scientific and engineering discoveries at the same time as masterworks of both sacred and secular music were being created just down the street. Explore the musical landscape of this rebel whose name was so nice you (almost) say it twice, with works by fellow rebels Bassano, Merulo, Marenzio, Gabrieli, and other Italian innovators. We’ll focus on the shifting styles of madrigal composition during his lifetime and how to bring them to life.

Le Nuove Musiche: 17th century music with basso continuo (UI-A, recorders, viols, violins, all continuo) – Jonathan Oddie

The decades around 1600 saw an explosion of new styles in Italian music, as innovations in opera, basso continuo and solo monodic song spread outwards and influenced other genres including instrumental music. We will explore path-breaking music by Salamone Rossi–one of the most significant Jewish composers, who composed both secular instrumental music and polyphony for the synagogue–as well as instrumental and vocal works from the period by Monteverdi and Frescobaldi, all of them innovators whose music clashed with established musical authority and precedent. 

Musica Nova (HI-A, or I and be ready to sightread! voices, viols, low recorders) – Sarah Mead

In 1559 Adrian Willaert’s trailblazing publication Musica Nova took the musical world by storm. The novel concept of one large collection of polyphony devoted half to madrigals and half to motets was so striking that the his Venetian publisher saw fit to reject his previous horizontal layout and issue the first set of part-books in upright format, featuring a large engraved portrait of the composer himself as well as a crisp, brand-new type-face. What makes this old music “New Music”? Find out for yourself as we look at these madrigals and motets in 4-7 parts. 

Belle, Bonne, Sage (A recorders, and UI recorders with excellent rhythm) – Miyo Aoki

A great flowering of musical activity occurred in the late 14th century, producing delicately intricate pieces in a new and subtle style, or ars subtilior. This music is full of complex rhythms and interesting melodies, and composers took great pains to notate it in equally novel ways. In addition to giving voice to compositions from this unique repertoire, you will enjoy the intellectual challenge of their rhythmic complexity.

Period 4

Money Makes the Medieval World Go Round (All levels, all instruments) – Niccolo Seligmann

Over the course of the 12th-14th centuries, many feudal relationships were replaced by financial transactions. Anxiety and anger about this shift shows up in art, literature, and music of the time. Explore a world of corrupt lawyers, hypocritical clerics, and wicked rulers, all willing to sacrifice their eternal souls for cold hard cash. Repertoires include the Carmina Burana manuscript, organum manuscripts, and more. 

Early Chanson Club (All levels, all voices and instruments) – Ben Matus

Together we’ll sing and play some of the most exquisite polyphonic songs of the 15th century using a facsimile edition. We’ll learn (or review!) the basics of reading Mensural Notation and develop a new relationship to ensemble playing/singing that comes from only seeing your own part. But don’t be daunted–polyphony is a team activity! 

Reformation Roulette (B-I, singers) – Joshua Overby

Would you be able to keep your faith if the crown changed from Catholic to Protestant with every new monarch? How about if churches were burning and the only way for you to express your true faith and art was in secret meetings? That is exactly what William Byrd and his contemporaries were forced to navigate in 16th-century England during the Reformation. We’ll take a look at some of the incredible vocal music that was born during this turbulent time! Open to everyone who wants to sing.

Good Treble From The Emerald Isle: Irish tunes on the Tin Whistle (LI and up, recorders) – Dan Meyers

The humble tin whistle or pennywhistle, despite its simple construction, has been a mainstay in Irish traditional music since Handel first premiered his “Messiah” in Dublin. If you play recorder you already know some whistle technique, but now you can learn how to play jigs, reels, hornpipes, and slow airs in true Irish style on the recorder’s Celtic cousin. We’ll look at the unique Irish way of ornamenting tunes, which is both similar to and different from Baroque ornamentation practice, and learn some beloved tunes from the 18th and 19th centuries–it’s a workout for the fingers and a delight for the ear! Tin whistles are available to borrow if you don’t have one (if you do, please bring one in D).  

The Golden 50 Years: ECD from 1679-1728 (I and up, dancers) – Tom Roby, with Jacqueline Schwab

Within the 375-year history of English country dancing, the 50-year span from 1679-1728 is striking for the sophistication of its figures and the beauty of its tunes. Hornpipes in 3/2 flourished, thanks in particular to Henry Purcell. We will focus on dances first published in this period, using them to elevate our dancing to higher levels. For dancers with some ECD experience.  

Curmudgeons of the English Renaissance (I-UI, recorders) – Miyo Aoki

Some of the loveliest music circulating in Renaissance England was written by some very grumpy or badly-behaved composers. We’ll catch a glimpse of their more sensitive sides as we play beautiful pieces by Christopher Tye, John Dowland, Thomas Weelkes, and other curmudgeonly characters.

Wild Rhythms of the Early Renaissance (I and up, recorders) – Jan Elliott

The development of increasingly precise rhythmic notation in the 14th century led to greater complexity and syncopation in late medieval and early renaissance music. The adventurous proponents of this new style, starting with Guillaume de Machaut, took full advantage of the ability to notate intricate syncopations, creating music with both a solid “groove” and fancy filigree–fun, challenging, and very rewarding to play. Join us for a rhythmic romp!

French Music is Best: Early German followers of Lully (UI and up, viols and violins) – Lisa Terry

Johann Sigismund Kusser spent years playing violin in Jean-Baptiste Lully’s orchestra at Versailles, where he absorbed and learned to compose in the French Baroque style. He returned to Germany moving from town to town as concertmaster of local orchestras, introducing Lully’s style across the land. Our class will explore suites for strings by Kusser and other “Lullistes” such as Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer and Georg Muffat.

Repertoire Thieves (UI-A, recorders) – Emily O’Brien

Recorder players love to flagrantly steal repertoire from other instruments. In this class, we’ll work on a variety of music that was NOT originally intended for recorder! We’ll plunder the very best of other instruments’ musical works and make them our own. 

Chromaticism, You Little Devil! (HI-A, recorders, flutes, viols) – Héloīse Degrugillier

Famed and fiery Italian madrigalist Carlo Gesualdo was born just a little bit different. He never wrote anything that was conventional, and he would never shy away from a good sharp. But other (err, normal) composers had to work at it, experiment, and find out for themselves what the fuss was all about. We’ll explore daringly chromatic music by Gesualdo as well as works by da Rore, Steffano, and Bach.

Monteverdi Project: Tirsi e Clori (HI-A, voices, continuo instruments, violins, low viols, recorders) – Christa Patton & Michael Barrett 

In 1620 Monteverdi was Maestro di Capella of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice (his dream job) when his old boss made him an offer to return to his former position in the swamps of Mantua for lower pay. Monteverdi said “no deal, but thanks for allowing me to dedicate my latest book of madrigals to your wife!” Tirsi e Clori is the final work in Monteverdi’s 7^th book of madrigals dedicated to Caterina de Medici, Duchess of Mantua, Duke Ferdinando Gonzaga’s better half. Singers have opportunities for solo or chorus parts as they wish. Violins, low viols, and recorders play 5-part balli (dances) and sometimes join with the voices. All harps, lutes, theorbos, and guitars welcome in our big continuo band!

Extracurricular Activities

Late-Night Music Making

Campers are invited to facilitate social playing in the afternoon and evening each day, in groups large and small, with room for pet projects, skill-sharpening, and merriments. BYOB – bring your own box – of music!

Queer Hangout Space – Niccolo Seligmann

This open-ended “class” invites queer & trans students to spend time in an Early Music/ECD space truly for queer people. We can share our experiences in Early Music/ECD, learn about each others’ lives, and explore ways to create more space for ourselves within the larger majority-cishet early music/ECD communities. While all students are welcome, non-queer students are encouraged to take a listening-oriented role.

Nature Walks – Chris Jacobs

Pinewoods Camp Executive Director and resident biologist, Chris Jacobs, takes us on walking tours of Pinewoods Camp to learn about the incredible flora and fauna of eastern Massachusetts. One walk will be before breakfast, and another just after lunch.

Camp fees cover all accommodation, meals from dinner on the arrival day to breakfast on the departure day, and all of the various dance, music, and song events in the program. 

This year, all of our weeks have sliding scale pricing for adults to help make camp financially accessible to more people. The fee you choose will not affect your chance of getting into camp.

How it works:

• The standard camper fee covers program staff pay and travel costs, facility fees, and all of the other costs associated with running this camp week.
• The higher price options allow you to add an additional amount to your registration fee to help make camp more accessible to more people. Thanks for supporting this community!
• If the standard camper fee doesn’t work for you, no worries! Feel free to choose one of the lower price options.
• If the lower price tiers still leave camp out of reach for you, we encourage you to apply for a scholarship and/or work exchange. See our Scholarships page for more details

You can find more information about the registration process here.