Play with Us!
Workshop with Matthias Maute
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Thursday, September 28, 2023

St. Paul’s United Church
11526 76 Avenue
5:30 to 6:30 - Student workshop
6:30 to 7:00 – Recital (with guests Kathleen Schoen and Dorothy Beyer)
7:00 to 8:00 – Adult workshop
Please contact Dorothy Beyer at [email protected] for further information
Further event details may be found by viewing or downloading here
11526 76 Avenue
5:30 to 6:30 - Student workshop
6:30 to 7:00 – Recital (with guests Kathleen Schoen and Dorothy Beyer)
7:00 to 8:00 – Adult workshop
Please contact Dorothy Beyer at [email protected] for further information
Further event details may be found by viewing or downloading here
Matthias Maute
He is back for us and is one of our favourite workshop leaders by catering to our level of skill. He teaches at McGill University in Montreal and has achievedan international reputation as conductor, recorder and flute player,
and as a composer.
He is back for us and is one of our favourite workshop leaders by catering to our level of skill. He teaches at McGill University in Montreal and has achievedan international reputation as conductor, recorder and flute player,
and as a composer.
--------------Past --------------------------------
Workshop with Terri Hron
Sunday, May 7, 2023 2-4 p.m.
Idylwylde Community Hall 8631 - 81 Street
Idylwylde Community Hall 8631 - 81 Street
Montreal based recorder player Terri Hron conducted a relaxed workshop. She helped the seven of us tone and tune some Elizabethan consort music. Besides standard tuning techniques, she emphasized the benefits of breathing exercises and led us in her favourite one.
Nesciens mater by Bittering (Old Hall Manuscript) SAB Susanna fair William Byrd SAT
Come away, come sweet love Book..Songes John Dowland SATB Galliard III (Hamburg 1607) William Brade SATTB The image of melancholly Anthony Holbourne STAB GB Minuet & Rondeau (Allegro) arr. Walter Bergmann H. Purcell SATB
Workshop Fees: Members: $30.00
Non-members: $35.00 Students under 16: $25.00
When Terri comes to the Edmonton region (where she grew up) often offers Terri also offers private sessions. This time, she also performed in a concert with Early Music Alberta. Season 2022-2023 – Early Music Alberta
Nesciens mater by Bittering (Old Hall Manuscript) SAB Susanna fair William Byrd SAT
Come away, come sweet love Book..Songes John Dowland SATB Galliard III (Hamburg 1607) William Brade SATTB The image of melancholly Anthony Holbourne STAB GB Minuet & Rondeau (Allegro) arr. Walter Bergmann H. Purcell SATB
Workshop Fees: Members: $30.00
Non-members: $35.00 Students under 16: $25.00
When Terri comes to the Edmonton region (where she grew up) often offers Terri also offers private sessions. This time, she also performed in a concert with Early Music Alberta. Season 2022-2023 – Early Music Alberta

Matthias Maute Workshop November 15, 2022
Workshops for young students, for adults and a short recital!
....All in person -- at last!
..........In conjunction with the Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society.
Matthias Maute
He is back for us and is one of our favourite workshop leaders by catering to our level of skill. He teaches at McGill University in Montreal and has achievedan international reputation as conductor, recorder and flute player,
and as a composer.
Vince's Workshop ....was cancelled in the fall of 2020 due to the second wave of Covid-19 cases.
Yet, he is ready for whatever the new date may be. Stay tuned.
It's been awhile since Edmonton’s own Vince Kelly has conducted a workshop for us! We look forward to another of his playful, informative, not-too-hard-not-too-easy, leadership style and this workshop promises to be all of that! It is open to all playing levels.
- Workshop: DATE TO BE DETERMINED
- Cost: FREE for members!! ($20 for non-members)
- Maximum participation: per Alberta guidelines at the time
- As usual, bring your own thermos with coffee or tea (or what have you) plus your own favourite cookies not to share.
Memberships available: Annual - September 1 - August 31
- payable c/o our treasurer E-transfer is preferred.
See Membership
--------------Past-------------------------------

Cancelled due to Covid-19
- perhaps we can reschedule for 2021
Spring Workshop with
Matthias Maute!
Monday, April 20
7:45 - 9:15 pm
St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ritchie
Follows his concert - 6:30 - 7:30 which is presented with the Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society
Registration fees: $20/$25 member/non-member
About Matthias ttps://www.matthiasmaute.com/MM/bio_en.php
- perhaps we can reschedule for 2021
Spring Workshop with
Matthias Maute!
Monday, April 20
7:45 - 9:15 pm
St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ritchie
Follows his concert - 6:30 - 7:30 which is presented with the Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society
Registration fees: $20/$25 member/non-member
About Matthias ttps://www.matthiasmaute.com/MM/bio_en.php
October 26 Workshop!
Saturday, October 26, 2019 3-5:30 p.m.
with Natalie Boisvert and Dorothy Beyer
First Baptist Church
10031 - 109 Street, Edmonton (free parking at the church)
Admission: $30 per person
Cheques or cash only please; payable at the door
Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend so we can help the workshop leaders out with approximate numbers and levels of players.
Be inspired! Learn more about the recorder itself and how to play !
Hear about music in general! Work on technical aspects!
Take home tips on how to practice and improve!
About the Workshop:
This Saturday workshop is geared towards both inexperienced and experienced recorder players.
Dorothy Beyer and Natalie Boisvert - two of Edmonton’s advanced recorder players - will take turns leading concurrent 1-hour sessions for beginner-to-intermediate players, and intermediate-to-advanced players, and then switch groups with a snack/social break in the middle. Thus, each group of players will have two 1-hour sessions - one with each leader. This format allows participants to be exposed two exceptional recorder players with very divergent backgrounds, as the leader biographies below show.
Intermediate players can switch between the groups, taking one session of beginner-to-intermediate, and one session of intermediate-to-advanced.
Announced October 24 NO AGM ....The workshop will NOT be followed by a BRIEF (VERY brief) Annual Meeting to bring in new Board members and provide an opportunity for questions and discussion if desired.
About Dorothy and Natalie!
Dorothy Beyer
Dorothy is well-known in the Alberta recorder community as having achieved an amazing level of playing in just a few years. Her musical roots are in piano, with a Masters of Music in piano performance, and an extensive professional career as a piano teacher and performer. A few years ago Dorothy was able to fulfill a decades-long dream of studying the recorder. In 2018, she completed her ARCT on the recorder, and in 2019 her Performer’s Certificate at The King’s University studying under Matthias Maute. Presently she is enrolled in the Artist’s Diploma program at King’s on the recorder and traverso (baroque flute) studying under internationally recognized early music specialists, Sophie Lariviere and Matthuias Maute of Ensemble Caprice. She teaches recorder privately in Edmonton as well as with the Edmonton Suzuki Flute & Recorder Society.
Natalie Boisvert
Natalie teaches music history, theory and pedagogy at the University of Alberta and runs the woodwinds program at YONA (Youth Orchestral of Northern Alberta) through the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Natalie grew up in Montreal and studied flute performance and music theory at McGill. After McGill, Natalie continued her music studies at the post-graduate level in early music and music history at Harvard University with internationally renowned early music scholars such as Christoph Wolff, Lewis Lockwood, and David Hughes. She is largely self-taught on the recorder, starting at the age of 4 on “instruments laying around the house". Recently, she was accepted to perform recorder in an auditioned masterclass with Marten Root (Netherlands Bach Society). Having been active in the early music scene in Montreal in her younger days, Natalie formed friendships with people who have since developed international reputations, such as recorder-maker Jean-Luc Boudreau.
*** Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend so we can help the workshop leaders out with approximate numbers and levels of players. ***
Saturday, October 26, 2019 3-5:30 p.m.
with Natalie Boisvert and Dorothy Beyer
First Baptist Church
10031 - 109 Street, Edmonton (free parking at the church)
Admission: $30 per person
Cheques or cash only please; payable at the door
Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend so we can help the workshop leaders out with approximate numbers and levels of players.
Be inspired! Learn more about the recorder itself and how to play !
Hear about music in general! Work on technical aspects!
Take home tips on how to practice and improve!
About the Workshop:
This Saturday workshop is geared towards both inexperienced and experienced recorder players.
Dorothy Beyer and Natalie Boisvert - two of Edmonton’s advanced recorder players - will take turns leading concurrent 1-hour sessions for beginner-to-intermediate players, and intermediate-to-advanced players, and then switch groups with a snack/social break in the middle. Thus, each group of players will have two 1-hour sessions - one with each leader. This format allows participants to be exposed two exceptional recorder players with very divergent backgrounds, as the leader biographies below show.
Intermediate players can switch between the groups, taking one session of beginner-to-intermediate, and one session of intermediate-to-advanced.
Announced October 24 NO AGM ....The workshop will NOT be followed by a BRIEF (VERY brief) Annual Meeting to bring in new Board members and provide an opportunity for questions and discussion if desired.
About Dorothy and Natalie!
Dorothy Beyer
Dorothy is well-known in the Alberta recorder community as having achieved an amazing level of playing in just a few years. Her musical roots are in piano, with a Masters of Music in piano performance, and an extensive professional career as a piano teacher and performer. A few years ago Dorothy was able to fulfill a decades-long dream of studying the recorder. In 2018, she completed her ARCT on the recorder, and in 2019 her Performer’s Certificate at The King’s University studying under Matthias Maute. Presently she is enrolled in the Artist’s Diploma program at King’s on the recorder and traverso (baroque flute) studying under internationally recognized early music specialists, Sophie Lariviere and Matthuias Maute of Ensemble Caprice. She teaches recorder privately in Edmonton as well as with the Edmonton Suzuki Flute & Recorder Society.
Natalie Boisvert
Natalie teaches music history, theory and pedagogy at the University of Alberta and runs the woodwinds program at YONA (Youth Orchestral of Northern Alberta) through the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Natalie grew up in Montreal and studied flute performance and music theory at McGill. After McGill, Natalie continued her music studies at the post-graduate level in early music and music history at Harvard University with internationally renowned early music scholars such as Christoph Wolff, Lewis Lockwood, and David Hughes. She is largely self-taught on the recorder, starting at the age of 4 on “instruments laying around the house". Recently, she was accepted to perform recorder in an auditioned masterclass with Marten Root (Netherlands Bach Society). Having been active in the early music scene in Montreal in her younger days, Natalie formed friendships with people who have since developed international reputations, such as recorder-maker Jean-Luc Boudreau.
*** Please RSVP to [email protected] if you plan to attend so we can help the workshop leaders out with approximate numbers and levels of players. ***
Workshop with Elyse Girard
Sunday, August 18, 2019 2-4 p.m.
First Baptist Church
10031-109 St (parking available at the church)
Registration Information
$20 ERS members; $30 non-members
Please RSVP by August 10 to Lori Klingbeil if you plan to participate in the workshop. If you have a piece that you would like to present for coaching, please let Lori know by August 10 as well: [email protected].
Also! Elyse is presenting a concert that same weekend on Saturday.
Free admission Details here
About Elyse
We have the incredible privilege of hosting a recorder workshop with Elyse Girard from Montreal. Elyse has worked with Frederic de Roos at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels and is currently completing a graduate diploma in recorder performance with Matthias Maute at McGill University. She has won numerous scholarships and prizes at competitions and festivals throughout Quebec and Canada, and has collaborated with professional early music ensembles such as Ensemble Caprice, Compagnie Baroque Mont-Royal and Collegium Musicum of Brussels. Elyse teaches at Jocelyne Laberge School of Music and Vincent-d’Indy School of Music. She is one of three co-founders of Les Meandres, an aspiring ensemble that focuses on French repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries which performed in Edmonton earlier this summer.
Elyse has an energetic personality and is always searching for new ways to present old and contemporary repertoire. She has been described as expressive and charismatic.
About the Workshop
The workshop will be suitable for recorder players of all levels. She will lead us in performing and interpreting various pieces of music, as well as providing a special tutorial on the interpretation and performance of french music. In addition, the workshop may include individual coaching in a masterclass format if there are interested participants. The coaching session will be open to individuals or ensembles who would like to present a piece and receive guidance.

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Borealis Suzuki Winds Institute 2019
Much of the information is below: However, the full flyer for the summer institute is at this link, along with registration links. here
See also: suzuki-flute-recorder.ca/institute
Borealis Suzuki Winds Institute 2019
Much of the information is below: However, the full flyer for the summer institute is at this link, along with registration links. here
See also: suzuki-flute-recorder.ca/institute
_________ For Teachers:
Introduction to Suzuki Recorder Tired of squeaky out of tune beginner groups? This class is for you! Learn how to make a beautiful tone from the very beginning. Using a series of simple engaging folk melodies, develop ear training skills and breath control as well as gain useful pointers for setting up playing position and posture. Open to school teachers and ensemble leaders, as well as players who are interested in improving their basic skills. • Friday August 16 - Sunday August 18 10:00 am - 5:00 pm • Schoen Duo Studio 8937 79 Ave • Cost: $300 *ECC! is a prerequisite to this class |
For Teachers & Parents:
Every Child Can! This class is a one day introduction to the basic principles of the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning. Following a language learning model, we discover how to teach following the same process as an infant learns its native language - easy, fun, and natural! Open to teachers of any instrument as well as interested parents. • Thursday August 15 10:00 am - 5:00 pm • Schoen Duo Studio 8937 79 Ave • Cost: $120 (includes textbook) _ _ For Teachers: Creative Ability Development (CAD) Use musical improvisation as a tool to develop creativity. Alice Kanack’s innovative methods build a supportive environment for experimentation and growth. Starting with simple activities suitable for beginners, improvisation can be introduced from the very beginning of instrument study. Combining simple activities leads to more complex ensemble improvisations. Mixed level groups can be accommodated by adding challenges to individual parts, while keeping the group activity accessible to all levels of player. For more info about Alice Kanack and her CAD program, check out her website ...through the link above • Monday August 19 - Friday August 23 9:00 am - 5:00 pm • Faculté St. Jean, Pavilion McMahon, 8406 rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 St.) • Cost: $450 _________ Questions? [email protected] |
_ _ _ _ _ Past _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Piers Adams Spring Workshop
Saturday, March 3
10 am - 12 noon
Campus Saint Jean,
Pavillon McMahon, Room 3-66
Piers is one of the world's leading recorder players -- check him out!
Solo and with his group "Red Priest"
Vivaldi Recorder Concerto in C
Red Priest - The Baroque Bohemians
Registration Information
Advance registration is not required. Drop-in is acceptable.
Please take a music stand (and your recorders.)
Fees:
$35 members and non-members
$25 students
Payment is at the workshop, c/o the Treasurer
- cash or cheque (payable to Edmonton Recorder Society).
Advance payment, c/o the Treasurer by e-transfer
Red Priest: Concert Friday, March 2 7:30
Robertson Wesley Church Edmonton Chamber Music Society
Flûte Alors!
Wednesday February 21, 2018
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 9155 79 Ave, Edmonton
5:00 - 6:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop
----for school age recorder students
All ESFRS recorder students will participate.
Other students are welcome as auditors, and may participate if time permits.
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm CONCERT! Bach ’n’ Jazz
Flûte Alors!’s classy yet casual programme Bach’n’Jazz pairs masterpieces by the great
Johann Sebastian Bach with popular jazz standards. Throughout the concert, Flûte Alors!
introduces the audience to the wide variety of sounds of the recorder quartet, from the
blended organ-like tones of Bach to the contemporary percussive effects in jazz. Featured works include original arrangements of the celebrated Toccata & Fugue in D minor (BWV538) and Passacaglia & Fugue in G minor (BWV 582) by Bach, and well-loved jazz standards Fly Me to the Moon and Autumn Leaves. Bach’n’Jazz embarks on an eclectic voyage that traverses the ages, offering a bouquet of sonorities and a palette of colours to the delight of every audience.
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop
----for adult recorder players
Admission:
Note that all payments and further information is through Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society (ESFRS)
All events FREE for ESFRS students
Concert admission: $15
Concert & Student masterclass (auditors): $20
Concert and Adult Masterclass: $30
at the door or in advance at Eventbrite
More info: http://suzuki-flute-recorder.ca/flute-alors/
http://flutealors.com/en/
Wednesday February 21, 2018
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 9155 79 Ave, Edmonton
5:00 - 6:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop
----for school age recorder students
All ESFRS recorder students will participate.
Other students are welcome as auditors, and may participate if time permits.
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm CONCERT! Bach ’n’ Jazz
Flûte Alors!’s classy yet casual programme Bach’n’Jazz pairs masterpieces by the great
Johann Sebastian Bach with popular jazz standards. Throughout the concert, Flûte Alors!
introduces the audience to the wide variety of sounds of the recorder quartet, from the
blended organ-like tones of Bach to the contemporary percussive effects in jazz. Featured works include original arrangements of the celebrated Toccata & Fugue in D minor (BWV538) and Passacaglia & Fugue in G minor (BWV 582) by Bach, and well-loved jazz standards Fly Me to the Moon and Autumn Leaves. Bach’n’Jazz embarks on an eclectic voyage that traverses the ages, offering a bouquet of sonorities and a palette of colours to the delight of every audience.
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Masterclass / Workshop
----for adult recorder players
Admission:
Note that all payments and further information is through Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society (ESFRS)
All events FREE for ESFRS students
Concert admission: $15
Concert & Student masterclass (auditors): $20
Concert and Adult Masterclass: $30
at the door or in advance at Eventbrite
More info: http://suzuki-flute-recorder.ca/flute-alors/
http://flutealors.com/en/
Two Spring Workshops
One: Francis Colpron was back!
Tuesday, April 25 7-9 p.m.
No disappointment here! Francis brought two contrasting pieces for us to bring to life; his technical suggestions and dynamic insights will keep us developing as musicians.
One: Amor'E Foco Dialogo A 7
- by Oravio Bechi 1550-1605
- double choir piece
Two: Suspicion
- by Glen Shannon b. 1966
- this one used the gamut of the instrumentation our members have - contrabass, great bass, through SATB and sopranino
See also:
Biographical information: https://atmaclassique.com/en/news/spotlights.aspx?spotlightid=24
Boréades de Montréal http://www.boreades.com/en/biography/
Two: Femke Bergsma
Care and Maintenance Workshop
Wednesday, April 26 7-8:30 p.m.
Venue: La Cite Francophone 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury (91 Street)
in the Great Hall - on the main floor between the foyer and Cafe Bicyclette
Map of Campus Saint Jean, with La Cite Francophone
One: Francis Colpron was back!
Tuesday, April 25 7-9 p.m.
No disappointment here! Francis brought two contrasting pieces for us to bring to life; his technical suggestions and dynamic insights will keep us developing as musicians.
One: Amor'E Foco Dialogo A 7
- by Oravio Bechi 1550-1605
- double choir piece
Two: Suspicion
- by Glen Shannon b. 1966
- this one used the gamut of the instrumentation our members have - contrabass, great bass, through SATB and sopranino
See also:
Biographical information: https://atmaclassique.com/en/news/spotlights.aspx?spotlightid=24
Boréades de Montréal http://www.boreades.com/en/biography/
Two: Femke Bergsma
Care and Maintenance Workshop
Wednesday, April 26 7-8:30 p.m.
Venue: La Cite Francophone 8627 Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury (91 Street)
in the Great Hall - on the main floor between the foyer and Cafe Bicyclette
Map of Campus Saint Jean, with La Cite Francophone
Registration Information
Advance registration is not required. Drop-in is acceptable.
Fees:
Francis Colpron Workshop - 2 hours
$30 members ERS
$35 non-members
Femka Bergsma - 1 1/2 hours
$25 members ERS
$30 non-members
Payment is at the workshop, c/o the Treasurer
- cash or cheque (payable to Edmonton Recorder Society).

Francis Colpron
Workshop & Master Class
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 7 - 9 p.m.
Winspear Centre, stage
Workshop at 7; Master classes at 8:00, 8:15, 8:30, 8:45
What a treat! Francis Colpron, professional recorder soloist, will conduct us in a workshop. Besides playing flute with the Portland Consort for many years and being on staff at the University of Montreal, he founded a baroque ensemble in 1991, Boréades de Montréal. They specialize in period music on period instruments, touring the world and receiving acclaim for their energy and stage presence.
A Joint Venture:
Tommy Banks Institute of Musical Creativity
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Early Music Alberta
Edmonton Recorder Society
You may also catch Mr. Colpron performing on stage with the Edmonton Symphony, as part of the their Early Classics Midweek series: Wednesday, May 25, 2106 . http://www.edmontonsymphony.com/
Workshop Registration Information:
Recorders, viols and other woodwinds are welcome...along, of course, with their players!
Masterclass registration - will be first come first served...contact Vince to register
Workshop registration - drop-in
To access the stage, please enter the Winspear Centre backstage, through the Artists' entrance off the 97 Street parking lot. Expect to sign in and out.
Fees:
Workshop (includes staying to observe the master classes)
$25 members ERS &/or Early Music Alberta /students:
$30 non-members
Masterclass and Workshop:
$35 members ERS &/or Early Music Alberta /students:
$40 non-members
Payment is at the workshop, c/o the Treasurer; cash or cheque (payable to Edmonton Recorder Society).
See also:
Biographical information: https://atmaclassique.com/en/news/spotlights.aspx?spotlightid=24
Boréades de Montréal http://www.boreades.com/en/biography/
Workshop & Master Class
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 7 - 9 p.m.
Winspear Centre, stage
Workshop at 7; Master classes at 8:00, 8:15, 8:30, 8:45
What a treat! Francis Colpron, professional recorder soloist, will conduct us in a workshop. Besides playing flute with the Portland Consort for many years and being on staff at the University of Montreal, he founded a baroque ensemble in 1991, Boréades de Montréal. They specialize in period music on period instruments, touring the world and receiving acclaim for their energy and stage presence.
A Joint Venture:
Tommy Banks Institute of Musical Creativity
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Early Music Alberta
Edmonton Recorder Society
You may also catch Mr. Colpron performing on stage with the Edmonton Symphony, as part of the their Early Classics Midweek series: Wednesday, May 25, 2106 . http://www.edmontonsymphony.com/
Workshop Registration Information:
Recorders, viols and other woodwinds are welcome...along, of course, with their players!
Masterclass registration - will be first come first served...contact Vince to register
Workshop registration - drop-in
To access the stage, please enter the Winspear Centre backstage, through the Artists' entrance off the 97 Street parking lot. Expect to sign in and out.
Fees:
Workshop (includes staying to observe the master classes)
$25 members ERS &/or Early Music Alberta /students:
$30 non-members
Masterclass and Workshop:
$35 members ERS &/or Early Music Alberta /students:
$40 non-members
Payment is at the workshop, c/o the Treasurer; cash or cheque (payable to Edmonton Recorder Society).
See also:
Biographical information: https://atmaclassique.com/en/news/spotlights.aspx?spotlightid=24
Boréades de Montréal http://www.boreades.com/en/biography/
________Past____________________________
Bill Damur Workshop
Saturday, November 14, 2015
2-4 pm Westwood Unitarian Church
More than Technicians
Bill urges us to get out of the modern dark ages where musicians play the written score, and only the written score. During the workshop, he showed us how to embellish our pieces by incorporating artistic and creative practices that were the norms of players and composers of the 1500s.
The basics are ornaments which Bill classified simply into two categories. First - static embellishments. We can add a grace note, or trills & tremolos around a single note. They are easiest to learn by ear and to think of them as contours – the ups and downs around a note. Secondly – passages. Our favourite example is a relish – delicious when the music presents a perfect fourth. Simply fill in the middle notes – and make it fit the rhythm, eliminating any need for mathematical thirty-second or assorted irregular written notes.
As much as Bill encouraged improvisation, he also referred us to ten treatises by the masters of the time. They did write out various ornaments to consider given any particular music setting. For further study, he especially recommended examples by Ganassi whose primary instrument was the recorder.
Next, Next, Bill led us through several pieces to integrate those individual flourishes. We followed along as he reviewed the music part by part, thinking out loud where an ornament might fit. Then, of course we played with and without ornamentation, experimenting along the way. We weren’t finished yet...as an ensemble, the music still needs clarity. Our early music predecessors recommended no more than four or five ornaments per part. We discussed who should add the ornamentation -- when and where?
Clarity is also enhanced by zones of tension and relaxation, and of the mass (density) of longer notes – new ways to consider elements we already try to interpret.
Beyond the technical, the twists and turns we created made artists of us all, and certainly added a liveliness to our music. Mr. Damur’s final challenge is to continue, “There’s no turning back.”
About Bill http://www.beams.ca/Bios/bill.html
Terri Hron Workshop: Spanish Music
Sunday, February 7, 2016
1:15 - 4:45 pm Workshop/Masterclass
Centennial Room, Stanley Milner Library
Terri's biography: http://www.birdonawire.ca/terri/
Thank you from Racheal Cogan
who led a workshop for us in March 2015. We played her composition, Music for a Cavern. This is what she wrote on her website. "Thanks also to members of the Edmonton Recorder Society for being the first group of people to play through the score and show me how awesome and fun it would be to perform this piece live."
To hear the piece check out https://soundcloud.com/racheal-cogan/music-for-a-cavern Click on "show more" to find the quote.
who led a workshop for us in March 2015. We played her composition, Music for a Cavern. This is what she wrote on her website. "Thanks also to members of the Edmonton Recorder Society for being the first group of people to play through the score and show me how awesome and fun it would be to perform this piece live."
To hear the piece check out https://soundcloud.com/racheal-cogan/music-for-a-cavern Click on "show more" to find the quote.
Racheal Cogan Workshop
Saturday, March 2, 2015
2-5 pm Ritchie United Church 74 Avenue
Facilitator: Racheal Cogan www.rachealcogan.com
....although the website lists her as Australian, she has a strong hold in
southern Alberta, too.
Kathleen Schoen's Workshop
Baroque Ornamentation
Saturday, November 29, 2014
2:30 - 5:30 pm Ritchie United Church
Success! "Tiny little zig-zags on top of scales and triads." That's the ornamentation way to amaze your audience - and yourself! Ornamentations, in and of themselves, are simple up and down steps around a note.....step by step, Kathleen described several patterns (port du voix, tremblemen, double cadence) and put them into stylistic and historical context - in theory and in musical pieces to play. Better than Suduko, our brains compiled the notes and symbols - our fingers are still catching up, but we all left the workshop inspired!
About Kathleen http://www.fluteplayer.ca/Kathleen_Schoen/Home.html
Vince Kelly's Workshop
Sprezzatura
Saturday, May 24, 2014
1:00 - 5:00 pm Westwood Unitarian Chruch
Details from Vince: Our theme will be sprezzatura, or the art that conceals art. A renaissance man/woman of truly noble nature and ancestry was expected to excel at civilized pursuits such as music, without having to try unduly hard. This is sprezzatura, or noble grace and nonchalance. The myth of inherent (and inherited) nobility was pervasive in renaissance society where everyone had his or her place and was expected to keep to it. A different kind of music making was expected from noble amateurs and base professionals; even musical notes were considered good or bad, based on their position. Yet today recorder consort playing is one of the most democratic of musical pursuits, with participants taking a largely equal role in the musical texture as well as in determining tempo and expression. How do we maintain our democratic ideals while entering the imaginative world of earlier times in our search for a historically informed performance? This workshop explores how we can translate the notion of sprezzatura into the performance of music from Anthony Holborne to J.S. Bach (and keep the bad notes firmly in their place). The level is low intermediate and up. If there is interest, part of the second half of the workshop could be in masterclass format, with participants playing the first movement of Bach’s Sonata in F.
Saturday, March 2, 2015
2-5 pm Ritchie United Church 74 Avenue
Facilitator: Racheal Cogan www.rachealcogan.com
....although the website lists her as Australian, she has a strong hold in
southern Alberta, too.
Kathleen Schoen's Workshop
Baroque Ornamentation
Saturday, November 29, 2014
2:30 - 5:30 pm Ritchie United Church
Success! "Tiny little zig-zags on top of scales and triads." That's the ornamentation way to amaze your audience - and yourself! Ornamentations, in and of themselves, are simple up and down steps around a note.....step by step, Kathleen described several patterns (port du voix, tremblemen, double cadence) and put them into stylistic and historical context - in theory and in musical pieces to play. Better than Suduko, our brains compiled the notes and symbols - our fingers are still catching up, but we all left the workshop inspired!
About Kathleen http://www.fluteplayer.ca/Kathleen_Schoen/Home.html
Vince Kelly's Workshop
Sprezzatura
Saturday, May 24, 2014
1:00 - 5:00 pm Westwood Unitarian Chruch
Details from Vince: Our theme will be sprezzatura, or the art that conceals art. A renaissance man/woman of truly noble nature and ancestry was expected to excel at civilized pursuits such as music, without having to try unduly hard. This is sprezzatura, or noble grace and nonchalance. The myth of inherent (and inherited) nobility was pervasive in renaissance society where everyone had his or her place and was expected to keep to it. A different kind of music making was expected from noble amateurs and base professionals; even musical notes were considered good or bad, based on their position. Yet today recorder consort playing is one of the most democratic of musical pursuits, with participants taking a largely equal role in the musical texture as well as in determining tempo and expression. How do we maintain our democratic ideals while entering the imaginative world of earlier times in our search for a historically informed performance? This workshop explores how we can translate the notion of sprezzatura into the performance of music from Anthony Holborne to J.S. Bach (and keep the bad notes firmly in their place). The level is low intermediate and up. If there is interest, part of the second half of the workshop could be in masterclass format, with participants playing the first movement of Bach’s Sonata in F.
Maurice Steger Workshop
November 4, 2013
Winspear Centre
In cooperation with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Maurice led a workshop for us and offered master classes for several brave souls and small ensembles - right on the stage!
We were truly delighted with this extraordinary opportunity. This review fro the Star Observer says this: "Maurice is one of the most thrilling musicians working on the world stage today. The Zurich-based musician is in high demand across the globe both as recorder player and as a conductor.....His command of the recorder – the most widely played of all instruments during the early baroque – is extraordinary. One moment he plays at full throttle with extreme virtuosity and the next he draws the audience in with playing of great tenderness and lyrical beauty."
November 4, 2013
Winspear Centre
In cooperation with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Maurice led a workshop for us and offered master classes for several brave souls and small ensembles - right on the stage!
We were truly delighted with this extraordinary opportunity. This review fro the Star Observer says this: "Maurice is one of the most thrilling musicians working on the world stage today. The Zurich-based musician is in high demand across the globe both as recorder player and as a conductor.....His command of the recorder – the most widely played of all instruments during the early baroque – is extraordinary. One moment he plays at full throttle with extreme virtuosity and the next he draws the audience in with playing of great tenderness and lyrical beauty."
Matthias Maute Workshop

Matthias Maute will be leading a workshop on Saturday, giving a concert with Pro Coro on the following Sunday afternoon at the Winspear Centre.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9:00 - 12 noon
Parish Church of Saints Faith & Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church 93 Street
Mr. Maute ran us through some music and helped us play according to the style of the day it was written. Early composers never included that information in the score, so today's players need to gain an understanding from other sources. Most fun, though, was playing Maute's own jazz composition!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
9:00 - 12 noon
Parish Church of Saints Faith & Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church 93 Street
Mr. Maute ran us through some music and helped us play according to the style of the day it was written. Early composers never included that information in the score, so today's players need to gain an understanding from other sources. Most fun, though, was playing Maute's own jazz composition!
Stacey Boal Workshop
Saurday, March 3, 2012
9:00 - 12 noon; 1:30 pm-4 pm
Westwood Unitarian Congregation 65 Avenue
Stacey Boal was born in Revelstoke, BC. The eldest child in a large musical family, Stacey first played recorder with her parents and their friends. In her teens, she played consorts and took recorder workshops in BC and California, studying with Martha Bixler, Kenneth Wollitz, and Michel Piguet. She also worked for a number of years with James Kennedy in Victoria, both as a disciple and as a colleague. Stacey earned her degree in violin at UBC, and joined the Victoria Symphony in 1976. She continues to play viola in the Symphony and to teach recorder and upper strings at the Victoria Conservatory, and is acknowledged as the foremost proponent of recorders and recorder music in Victoria.
9:00 - 12 noon; 1:30 pm-4 pm
Westwood Unitarian Congregation 65 Avenue
Stacey Boal was born in Revelstoke, BC. The eldest child in a large musical family, Stacey first played recorder with her parents and their friends. In her teens, she played consorts and took recorder workshops in BC and California, studying with Martha Bixler, Kenneth Wollitz, and Michel Piguet. She also worked for a number of years with James Kennedy in Victoria, both as a disciple and as a colleague. Stacey earned her degree in violin at UBC, and joined the Victoria Symphony in 1976. She continues to play viola in the Symphony and to teach recorder and upper strings at the Victoria Conservatory, and is acknowledged as the foremost proponent of recorders and recorder music in Victoria.
Alison Melville Workshop & Concert
Saturday, November 26, 2011 Concert on Sunday
9:00 - 12 noon, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
Parish Church of Saints Faith & Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church 93 Street
This workshop aims to expand your musical horizons with a day-long exploration of fantasias, dances, ricercars, In nomines and other forms of instrumental music from sixteenth-century Europe. Repertoire will include music from the 'bigger players' - Italy, France, England and Germany - as well as repertoire from the less familiar territories of Spain, Holland, Scotland, Poland, Denmark and Norway.
About Alison Melville
9:00 - 12 noon, 1:30 - 4:30 pm
Parish Church of Saints Faith & Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church 93 Street
This workshop aims to expand your musical horizons with a day-long exploration of fantasias, dances, ricercars, In nomines and other forms of instrumental music from sixteenth-century Europe. Repertoire will include music from the 'bigger players' - Italy, France, England and Germany - as well as repertoire from the less familiar territories of Spain, Holland, Scotland, Poland, Denmark and Norway.
About Alison Melville
Eila Peterson Workshop
Tips & Techniques for Ensemble Playing and Early Music
Saturday, March 12, 2011
1:00 - 3:30 pm
Moravian Church, 83 Avenue just west of the Mill Creek Ravine.
An afternoon of sacred and secular early music for recorders, culminating with a large ensemble experience in collaboration with Edmonton's premiere sackbut ensemble, the Sackbone Express.
About Edmontonian Eila Peterson, B.Ed., A.Mus., M.Mus., Ph.D.
1:00 - 3:30 pm
Moravian Church, 83 Avenue just west of the Mill Creek Ravine.
An afternoon of sacred and secular early music for recorders, culminating with a large ensemble experience in collaboration with Edmonton's premiere sackbut ensemble, the Sackbone Express.
About Edmontonian Eila Peterson, B.Ed., A.Mus., M.Mus., Ph.D.
David Wilson: Breathing Workshop
Saturday, June 12, 2010
11:30 - 2:30 pm.
Westwood Unitarian Congregation, 11135 - 65 Avenue
About David Wilson (BMus, MMus) is a Singer, Conductor, Teacher of Singing, Breath Therapist and certified Yoga Instructor. Using postural work, tension release, stretching, metaphorical movement, strength training, breathing techniques, and his experience as a classically-trained singer, he assists vocalists, wind-players and actors in discovering their support, their power, their free breath and their true voice. He focuses on conscious stretching and somatic breathing to build focus, energy, and good health. As a musician, conductor, teacher and singer, David’s classes focus on the breath’s ability to intensify the poses, enhancing both our core strength and inner tranquility.
David Wilson also was ERS's orchestra leader in 2009.
11:30 - 2:30 pm.
Westwood Unitarian Congregation, 11135 - 65 Avenue
About David Wilson (BMus, MMus) is a Singer, Conductor, Teacher of Singing, Breath Therapist and certified Yoga Instructor. Using postural work, tension release, stretching, metaphorical movement, strength training, breathing techniques, and his experience as a classically-trained singer, he assists vocalists, wind-players and actors in discovering their support, their power, their free breath and their true voice. He focuses on conscious stretching and somatic breathing to build focus, energy, and good health. As a musician, conductor, teacher and singer, David’s classes focus on the breath’s ability to intensify the poses, enhancing both our core strength and inner tranquility.
David Wilson also was ERS's orchestra leader in 2009.
Terri Hron Recorder Workshop

Renaissance Music, Intonation and Breathing
January 9, 2010
:30 - 4:30 pm.
Westwood Unitarian Congregation
Terri grew up in Edmonton and has led several workshops for us. It's always nice to welcome her back. About Terri Hron
January 9, 2010
:30 - 4:30 pm.
Westwood Unitarian Congregation
Terri grew up in Edmonton and has led several workshops for us. It's always nice to welcome her back. About Terri Hron