EarlyMusicNews.Org

"The Cambridge Society for Early Music was founded by the noted harpsichordist and musicologist Erwin Bodky, who introduced performances of pre-Classical European music to the general public at Harvard College in the late 1940s. Since Bodky's death in 1958, the CSEM has continued in the spirit of its founder to present performances of solo, chamber, choral, and orchestral music from the Middle Ages through the early 19th century.

Our mission is to entertain, enlighten, educate and, in general, promote the rich musical culture of five centuries of Western music occurring up to the early nineteenth century. " ...

Added on: Aug 17, 2007 | Hits: 498

“The Berkshire Bach Society is the only member-based musical organization in Berkshire County. It uniquely focuses on one composer, and creates programs with the long-range goal of exposing its membership (actual and potential) to a broad perspective on the works of J. S. Bach. This perspective is constantly expanded and reinterpreted, but always comes back to a reconsideration of what is possibly the most remarkable body of music ever generated by a single individual.“

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Added on: May 27, 2011 | Hits: 263

"Formed in 1993 as Benevolent Order for Music of the Baroque, the group is now known as Baroque Northwest and is made up of people who share the same dedicated and progressive attitude towards performing music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, early Romantic, and Modern eras. We challenge and question the traditional canon of what historical performance practice should be, as well as the traditional concept of what a concert should be. We have fun with our concerts while never violating the integrity of the music (we show respect for the dead). We make our programs accessible to the general public while keeping them stimulating to our regular audience of early music aficionados. While some early music ensembles chose to perform in costumes, we perform in modern clothes because we believe ancient music is for modern people. Our programs are given in a traditional classical music setting but we often speak directly and informally to the audience, sharing interesting and amusing anecdotes about the music and composers, and we have been known to encourage audience participation. ...

Baroque Northwest is the presenting organization for the Baroque Northwest ensemble. Baroque Northwest also currently presents the Baroque Flute and Viola da Gamba Boot Camp, workshops featuring visiting artists, and recitals by select individuals. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 26, 2008 | Hits: 401

“Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, just off NYC’s famous Lincoln Square, invites you to engage in the unique historic experience of hearing full Bach cantatas in the setting for which they were written. Each Sunday through the end of April, 2012, cantatas will be rendered on their appropriate liturgical Sundays following the practice of J.S. Bach himself in 18th Century Leipzig. These candlelit vespers services also feature organ works, choral motets, chamber music and exciting hymn singing with the renowned Bach Choir and Bach Players on period instruments under the direction of Cantor Rick Erickson. The assembly gathering each week is a diverse community of people in age, lifestyle, sexual orientation, religious affiliation and nationality. All are welcome. Bach Vespers requests a free-will offering during the service and encourages everyone to give generously. Annual contributions and weekly offerings fully support this series and its team of professional artists. ”

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Added on: Mar 28, 2012 | Hits: 148

“… The Bach Society was founded at Christ the King Lutheran Church under the initial leadership of Carroll and Dorry Shaddock, inspired by the example of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan, which presented cantatas on a weekly basis at Sunday evening vespers services. Dr. Robert Lynn, professor of musicology at the University of Houston (now emeritus), was engaged as Music Director, and together they worked to establish an ensemble which reflected the latest research and scholarship of historically-informed performance practice. A series of Bach Vespers was the Society’s first offering; the response of the public was overwhelming, and attendance remained at capacity over the years as the number of presentations steadily increased. …”

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Added on: Mar 01, 2012 | Hits: 137

"In order to expand musical horizons and renew the historic creative relationship among composers, musicians and listeners, it is the mission of the Atlanta Early Music Alliance to teach, perform and foster enjoyment and awareness of music created before 1800. " ...

Added on: Aug 14, 2007 | Hits: 527

" In the spring of 1982 a group of friends, including University of Arizona faculty members James Anthony and John Boe as well as other members of Tucson's musical community, hit upon the idea of forming a group that would be, as our mission statement still reads, "Dedicated to the enrichment of contemporary life with the music of the past." Specifically, they wanted to organize concerts featuring music from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Periods performed by early music specialists on period instruments. They settled on a name for the organization: The Arizona Early Music Society. " ...

Added on: Aug 18, 2007 | Hits: 448

“The American Nyckelharpa Association is a non-profit corporation for the preservation and fostering of the nyckelharpa (sometimes called the Swedish Key Fiddle). We will conduct educational programs and activities to promote knowledge of and interest in the nyckelharpa and the traditional music of the nyckelharpa. We shall endeavor to provide competent instruction in playing the nyckelharpa, in the traditional music, and in the traditional dance associated with the music.“

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Added on: Jul 04, 2011 | Hits: 181

“The AMS South-Central chapter includes the states of Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Members include professors, independent scholars, students, and those who love music history. If you are a member of the national American Musicological Society and live within the zip codes of our area (as determined by the national office), you are a member of our chapter. All are welcome to attend the annual chapter meetings.

The date for our Spring 2012 meeting, which will be held at Union University, is March 2-3. Please see link at left for the Call for Papers. Our keynote speaker will be David Huron, who heads the Cognitive and Systematic Musicology laboratory at Ohio State. Our conference will also feature a performance (open to the public) by the Orchid Ensemble. We look forward to seeing you there; registration information will be added to this page in the spring..“

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Added on: Nov 23, 2011 | Hits: 190

"The American Musical Instrument Society is an international organization founded in 1971 to promote better understanding of all aspects of the history, design, construction, restoration, and usage of musical instruments in all cultures and from all periods.

The membership of AMIS includes collectors, historians, curators, performers, instrument makers, restorers, dealers, conservators, teachers, students, and many institutional members. All individual members have full voting rights and, with the exception of spouse members, receive the Society's publications. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 08, 2008 | Hits: 297

“The American Heinrich Schütz Society is dedicated to the study and performance of the music of Schütz and his German contemporaries. For many years, the AHSS was an independent entity; however, in 1991, its members voted to expand the boundaries of its focus, and to invite other scholars of seventeenth-century music to form a Society for Seventeenth-Century Music, which held its first conference at Washington University in St. Louis in April 1993. At the point of the formation of the SSCM, the AHSS became a constituent society of the larger body, with representation on the board of directors. ..“

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Added on: Apr 16, 2010 | Hits: 280

“The American Beethoven Society is an international organization of individuals devoted to the study and appreciation of Beethoven's life, music, and influence on culture and society to the present day. …“

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Added on: Jul 18, 2011 | Hits: 302

" The American Bach Society was founded in 1972 to support the study, performance, and appreciation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in the United States and Canada.

The ABS produces Bach Notes and other publications, sponsors a biennial meeting and conference, and offers grants and prizes for research on Bach." See the website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 10, 2008 | Hits: 337

" Founded in 1980, the Academy for the Study and Performance of Early Music is a non-profit organization celebrating the riches of music from the Middle Ages to the Classical era. Through our presentation and sponsorship of period performances, research, and teaching, the Academy seeks to enrich the cultural life of Southeast Michigan. We welcome all interested musicians, scholars, and enthusiasts to join our ranks.
>br> The Academy is a membership organization run entirely by volunteers. Our membership range from dedicated concert-goers, serious amateurs, and aspiring students to some of the area's finest performers. Through their memberships and donations of time and services, Academy members support a diversity of programs including: concerts by visiting and local artists, masterclasses and workshops, informal house concerts, research projects, sight readings and the Academy Choir. " ...

Added on: Aug 21, 2007 | Hits: 447

"The West Gallery Music Association is an informal group of singers, instrumentalists and scholars. We share an interest in the sacred music, psalmody and hymnody, and the secular music and dance of the men and women who performed from the west galleries of parish churches, in chapels, and around the towns and villages of England during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Although our interests mainly centre on this period and form of music in the United Kingdom, we are also interested in many aspects of the history and popular culture of the English-speaking world which have influenced or been influenced by our musical and singing traditions. Abroad, we have active members in Australia and the United States.

The Association, which was formed in 1990, has staged many highly successful workshop, study and performance events, and members have appeared on national and local television and radio. Many offshoot performing groups have been formed around the country and there are presently over 400 members. The researches of several members of the group are gaining increasing respect in academic circles. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 08, 2008 | Hits: 393

"The Viola da Gamba Society was founded in 1948 with the aim of advancing the study of viols, their music, their playing, and their making." Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2007 | Hits: 407

"TEMS (Totnes Early Music Society ed.) was set up during the Summer of 1999 with a view to offering its members a number of recitals during the Autumn/Winter season of Mediaeval to Baroque music, performed by professional players, supplemented by lecture-recitals and workshops. The aim of the Society is to provide a high standard of performance of historically-informed early music to individuals and families in the South Devon area. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2007 | Hits: 439

"The Tilford Bach Festival is held annually in the Great Hall of Farnham Castle and All Saints Church Tilford, near Farnham, Surrey, and specialises in performances of Baroque music using authentic instruments and orchestration.

Denys Darlow, who established the Tilford Bach Society in 1952, directed the London Handel Festival and became well known as a conductor and interpreter of 17th and 18th century music. Following the 50th Festival in 2002, Denys Darlow retired as Director. Laurence Cummings and Adrian Butterfield are now the Music Directors of the Society. Laurence works with many well-known period ensembles as director, conductor and harpsichord player and Adrian is a very prominent baroque violin player and teacher.

Throughout the year the TBS organises concerts of baroque, classical and contemporary music played by young and exciting professional musicians in the Great Hall of Farnham Castle. Temporary members are welcome at all concerts. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 31, 2008 | Hits: 460

“The Thomas Tomkins Forum seeks to pursue interests of all kinds in the music of the English Renaissance and its context. We aim to encourage interest in and enjoyment of Tomkins' music (and the music of a range of other composers) at all levels. We clearly need a Forum dedicated to giving Tomkins the recognition he deserves as one of England's finest composers - and to fostering interest in the English Virginalists generally. Anyone interested in Tomkins, in early music, in keyboard instruments, in choral music, consort music, or in the wider musical and cultural contexts of Renaissance England and its European parallels, is most welcrome to contact us.”

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Added on: Sep 07, 2011 | Hits: 222

“The Workshop Series - classical music concerts in Lewes, East Sussex, UK

The Workshop Series is a classical music concert series based at the workshop of harpsichord maker Malcolm Rose in Lewes, East Sussex, UK. Over 20 years the series has built up an enviable reputation for presenting world-class artists in an atmospheric, intimate and friendly setting.“

Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 190

“The Renaissance Society was founded in 1944 to promote the understanding and appreciation of plainchant, Renaissance polyphony and other types of vocal and instrumental music from the period. The founder was Michael Howard who was later to achieve distinction as the Organist and Master of the Choristers at Ely cathedral before holding other prestigious posts in the musical world.

The Renaissance Singers was formed at the same time as the performing arm of the Society, and apart from a period of silence in the 1980s has maintained an impressive schedule of concerts. Many recordings have been made-the last in February 1998. 

The success of the Singers is evidenced by the detailed and fascinating archive dating from July 1944, but it took 55 years for a wider role for the Society to emerge. 

In 1999 Saeculum was launched as a festival of early music and is the first major activity undertaken by the Society other than the running of the Renaissance Singers. The immediate success of Saeculum meant that in 2000 the scope was broadened beyond the running of a single annual weekend event and now Saeculum events take place throughout the year. They include cultural events beyond the staging concerts and include workshops for musicians and the appreciation of wine and art. …”

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Added on: Feb 28, 2012 | Hits: 171

“The Gregorian Association was founded in 1870 (as The London Gregorian Choral Association) to promote the singing of Gregorian Chant to English texts, and to overcome the prejudice which existed against doing so. This purpose is still part of the work of the Association, but more recently its policy has increased in scope, so that the it is now fully oecumenical, and promotes and uses the chant in Latin as well as Modern English and that of the Book of Common Prayer. The Association is now 130 years old; during this time it has sung and taught the chant as a living witness to the enduring value and beauty of the "true music of the church". Directors of Music have included Sir John Stainer, Francis Burgess, Arthur Clarke and Professor David Hiley.

The chant is music of great variety, from simple recitation to complex, melismatic melodies requiring the vocal skills of trained cantors. Much of the chant repertory continues to be sung by monastic communities, who have no special musical training, and is easily within the capabilities of parish choirs today, especially when limited numbers preclude singing in harmony. It is functional music, designed to serve the needs of the Church's liturgy; it is also widely regarded for its 'timeless' character. The Gregorian Association works to educate the public about this vast treasury of song for the enrichment of worship. It is not permanently based anywhere, but rather its members meet in different places throughout the year for a variety of events.

• Study Days for Parish Church Choirs, ending with a service
• Evening Classes in London
• RSCM and other Festivals
• A wide variety of venues, from Cathedral to Country Church
• A Newsletter publishes forthcoming Gregorian Association events, and other events of interest to members”

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Added on: Dec 28, 2011 | Hits: 143

"The Andreas Scholl Society was founded on 21 January 2000 by music lovers with a common love of the countertenor voice and repertoire and a particular interest in the work of the German countertenor Andreas Scholl. It is our great pleasure to share information about Andreas Scholl's work and to introduce others to the artistry of this great musician. It is our longer term hope that this website will provide a definitive information resource on Andreas Scholl. We do not purport to represent Andreas Scholl officially. We have a mailing list on which we post alerts about Andreas Scholl's upcoming performances, recordings, reviews, radio and TV broadcasts. The information we share is helping to build our website into a complete archive of Andreas Scholl's work." ...

Added on: Aug 03, 2007 | Hits: 409

"TVEMF exists to encourage the singing and playing of early music in the London to Oxford area and currently has over 300 members. TVEMF organises early music workshops and events, and publishes TAMESIS, a monthly newsletter with articles and details of early music courses, concerts and workshops." See website for more info. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 08, 2008 | Hits: 383

"Southern Early Music Forum (SEMF) exists to further the interests of early music in the area of Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, the Isle of Wight, East Sussex and Kent. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 08, 2008 | Hits: 457