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Guest artists to lead English Renaissance music concert

By Carl Schroeder '05
April 16, 2007

English music from the eras of King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I will come to life at the spring concert of the St. Olaf Early Music Singers and St. Olaf Collegium Musicum on Friday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Olaf College's Boe Memorial Chapel. Guest directors Robert Wiemken, Robert Smith '78 and Julie Elhard will direct the student ensembles.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will feature a variety of vocal and instrumental music written during the English Renaissance, including pieces by William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Anthony Holborne, Philip van Wilder and King Henry VIII himself.

"The music will span the whole spectrum of the period of the Tudor royalty in England, beginning in the early part of the 16th century," says Wiemken, a visiting instructor in music at St. Olaf and lecturer in Early Music Ensembles at Philadelphia's Temple University. Wiemken and Elhard, also a music instructor, have jointly directed Collegium Musicum this semester. Wiemken also is co-artistic director of Piffaro, a Philadelphia-based chamber music group that will perform a concert of Renaissance-era music at St. Olaf on October 5, 2007.

Smith, an associate professor of music at St. Olaf and guest director of the Early Music Singers, counts two works by King Henry VIII among the April 20 concert's vocal highlights. The first, titled "Pastime with Good Company," praises a regal festival while the second, "Whereto Should I Express," is a manifestation of grief after the loss of an infant son. "I think the audience will enjoy hearing the poetic/musical aspect of this king and the moods that he expresses through music," says Smith.

The program's instrumental portion, which will be performed by members of Collegium Musicum on St. Olaf's collection of historical wind, brass and string instruments, will showcase three instrumental fantasies by Philip van Wilder and a dance suite for recorders and strings by Anthony Holborne, among other works.

The St. Olaf Early Music Singers and its instrumental counterpart, Collegium Musicum, are student chamber music groups focusing on works written before 1750. Wiemken, Elhard and Smith have led the ensembles during the semester-long sabbatical of Professor of Music Gerald Hoekstra, who regularly directs both groups.

"The most rewarding thing about being the guest director of the Early Music Singers this semester has been working with the current singers, who Gerry Hoekstra chose so well at the beginning of the year," Smith says. "There will be a lot of variety in the concert, so hopefully most audience members will find music that speaks to them."

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.