The Research and Development of an Italian 17th-Century Style Improvising Ensemble
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Languages Cultures Art History & Music
Abstract
Since the early 20th century there has been a fascination with pre-classical music; in the last fifty years this 'early music' movement has become incredibly popular, with a wealth of historically-informed performances on reconstructed instruments from earlier eras. Much of the pre-classical music left to us is more a framework than a literal text, similar to the kinds of sketches used in jazz, generally containing a melody in a very simple version with suggested harmonies. From this skeleton the musicians, equipped with well-honed improvisation skills, will embellish the sketch into a sophisticated and personal performance. As the standards of early music performance continue to rise and become more adventurous, performers are now ready to take their expertise to another level by refining their improvising skills to transform their sketches into virtuosic performances and realise the full potential of this rich repertoire.
As an AHRC Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts, one aspect of my research project centres around the unusual and often complex forms of improvisation, particularly on chordal instruments, that were commonplace in Italy in the 17th century. Ensembles of long-necked lutes, harpsichords, violins, and 'cornetti' would participate in church feast-day celebrations where they would create group extemporisations which contemporaries described as heavenly music on earth. Through my research project I aim to revive this art by establishing an ensemble, essentially an 'early music big band', devoted to experimentation, performance and promotion of rarely-attempted forms of early improvisation.
Early music is one of the only areas of classical music which has a built-in element for improvisation, and yet most modern-day practitioners have only just scratched the surface of what is possible. I aim to redress the balance by creating musical experiences on the classical music platform which involve the public in the exhilaration created by the invention of music on the spot. The notion of an entire ensemble improvising simultaneously within an intricate set of boundaries is both astonishing and exciting. Our starting point will be theoretical materials on extemporization left to us from the 16th and 17th centuries coupled with analysis of early 17th-century Italian music which imitates improvised music. Our scholarly findings will be used to inspire our practical music-making. There will be no 'cross-over' or 'fusion' here: while we may take advice from modern improvisers on how to structure our practising and ensemble skills, we shall not be relying on folk, 'world', or jazz musicians to provide the improvisation for us, which can often be the case in groups which feature early extemporization.
This project captured the imagination of Marshall Marcus, Head of Music at London's Southbank Centre, who is devoted to promoting improvisation in classical music spheres. He has proposed an Early Music Improvisation Weekend in October 2009 which will feature more sophisticated forms of early extemporization; my ensemble will be a focal point of the weekend, presenting an open rehearsal, concert, and improvisation workshop open to the general public. The ensemble will consist of high-calibre musicians who have been hand-picked for their experience and improvisation skills. We shall undertake an extensive period of research and development to prepare for this groundbreaking event. Our rehearsals will be filmed in order to present a documentary which records our process in the foyer of the Centre during the weekend. I aim to secure other concerts and workshops for the ensemble around this time in order to reach a wider public and provide the opportunity for us to further hone our skills. I also intend to record our rehearsals and concerts professionally in the hope of producing a self-financed commercial CD of our best extemporized material over this period.
As an AHRC Fellow in the Creative and Performing Arts, one aspect of my research project centres around the unusual and often complex forms of improvisation, particularly on chordal instruments, that were commonplace in Italy in the 17th century. Ensembles of long-necked lutes, harpsichords, violins, and 'cornetti' would participate in church feast-day celebrations where they would create group extemporisations which contemporaries described as heavenly music on earth. Through my research project I aim to revive this art by establishing an ensemble, essentially an 'early music big band', devoted to experimentation, performance and promotion of rarely-attempted forms of early improvisation.
Early music is one of the only areas of classical music which has a built-in element for improvisation, and yet most modern-day practitioners have only just scratched the surface of what is possible. I aim to redress the balance by creating musical experiences on the classical music platform which involve the public in the exhilaration created by the invention of music on the spot. The notion of an entire ensemble improvising simultaneously within an intricate set of boundaries is both astonishing and exciting. Our starting point will be theoretical materials on extemporization left to us from the 16th and 17th centuries coupled with analysis of early 17th-century Italian music which imitates improvised music. Our scholarly findings will be used to inspire our practical music-making. There will be no 'cross-over' or 'fusion' here: while we may take advice from modern improvisers on how to structure our practising and ensemble skills, we shall not be relying on folk, 'world', or jazz musicians to provide the improvisation for us, which can often be the case in groups which feature early extemporization.
This project captured the imagination of Marshall Marcus, Head of Music at London's Southbank Centre, who is devoted to promoting improvisation in classical music spheres. He has proposed an Early Music Improvisation Weekend in October 2009 which will feature more sophisticated forms of early extemporization; my ensemble will be a focal point of the weekend, presenting an open rehearsal, concert, and improvisation workshop open to the general public. The ensemble will consist of high-calibre musicians who have been hand-picked for their experience and improvisation skills. We shall undertake an extensive period of research and development to prepare for this groundbreaking event. Our rehearsals will be filmed in order to present a documentary which records our process in the foyer of the Centre during the weekend. I aim to secure other concerts and workshops for the ensemble around this time in order to reach a wider public and provide the opportunity for us to further hone our skills. I also intend to record our rehearsals and concerts professionally in the hope of producing a self-financed commercial CD of our best extemporized material over this period.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Paula Chateauneuf (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
| Title | Edition and distribution of materials from 16th- and 17th-century improvisation treatises |
| Description | The distribution to the Division Lobby of a selection of exercises and examples of improvisation from extant 16th- and 17th-century extemporization manuals and audio recordings for study, individual use, and practise. |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Impact | A number of 16th- and 17th-century treatises exist on improvisation, and most members of the ensemble were aware of them and had used them before this project. However, this project involved a specific sort of improvisation which was prevalent in early 17th-century Italy in particular, and therefore it was necessary for me to provide some members of the ensemble with specific materials which were relevant to that time and place. This was particularly the case with the singer Mark Tucker, to whom I gave materials specifically relating to vocal improvisation; I also gave him a series of sessions on how to work with these materials. By suggesting that individuals concentrate on a few key treatises and providing material from each, this established a cohesive style for the improvisations, which was as important to the dissemination of information as it was to the musical performance as a whole. I also provided the group with audio recordings of many of the frameworks used in our concert, which they used to aid their individual practise. Many found these tools invaluable. I have also used many of these materials in workshops, classes, and lecture/demonstrations on early improvisation and The Division Lobby project. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 10/2/10 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at the Sir Jack Lyons concert Hall, University of York |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 14/9/09 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at a private venue in London |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. This was an early concert in the string of concerts we mounted and an important chance to hone our improvisation skills in performance. Experimentation in performance is an essential element in the process of becoming a skilled improviser and this concert provided an informal atmosphere in which to try new ideas and methods. We also honed the musical material, working out what was best to keep or change for the next performance. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 18/2/10 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at Concertgebouw, Belgium |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 27/9/09 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at King's Hall, Newcastle University |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 3/10/09 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. The invitation by Southbank Centre to mount this concert in conjunction with a open discussion forum, an open rehearsal, and a workshop open to the general public as part of the 'Take the Risk' weekend of early improvisation helped to generate other concert bookings as well as a great deal of publicity distributed nationwide about the ensemble and the weekend. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 7/2/10 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2010 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. |
| Title | Harmonia Extemporanea: Improvisations on 17th century Italian sketches - concert 9/9/09 |
| Description | Concert with the Division Lobby for Music at 22 Mansfield St., London |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | This concert gave the group the opportunity to put its findings in rehearsal into practice, and to develop improvisation skills in performance, particularly in ensemble. The performance included the realization of 17th-century harmonic sketches or frameworks into actual pieces; highly original and individual performances were created. My research was disseminated to the audience through explanations before each piece of what materials were used as a basis for the improvisation and what methods were used to achieve the improvisations; this was much appreciated by the public. The concerts were the culmination of months of individual and ensemble work and my aim was achieved: to create concerts of early music which were completely improvised, which the audience learned from and enjoyed. This demonstrated that one could put together a programme which involved extensive specialist musicological research without the audience even being aware of it. This was an early concert in the string of concerts we mounted and an important chance to hone our improvisation skills in performance. Experimentation in performance is an essential element in the process of becoming a skilled improviser and this concert provided an informal atmosphere in which to try new ideas and methods. We also honed the musical material, working out what was best to keep or change for the next performance. I recorded this concert, which was particularly useful to the process of refining and polishing our improvisations, and helped me to provide feedback to the ensemble. |
| Title | Performing editions for The Division Lobby programme |
| Description | The editing and printing of editions for use in performance by The Division Lobby. |
| Type Of Art | Composition/Score |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | Only a few sketches from the 17th century for improvising have been published in modern edition, and it was therefore necessary for me to edit a number of pieces myself. I also had to edit some of the published editions. A significant amount of the material had to be adapted for the number of musicians in the group and for the intended performances. All of these tasks contributed to the improvement of my skills as a music editor, tasks from which I learned an enormous amount. Editing the music increased my familiarity with both musical and printing conventions of early 17th-century Italy and the calligraphic styles in various 17th-century manuscripts. Occasionally members of the ensemble provided their opinions and solutions for how best to present each framework, and in one case I created a special form of notation at the suggestion of the singer Mark Tucker which transformed the way we approached the improvisation. By editing this music I also now have a body of material from which I can draw when doing workshops and lecture/demonstrations. |
| Title | Programmes for BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show |
| Description | I was interviewed for two programmes for BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show on the creation of The Division Lobby and London Southbank Centre's 'Take the Risk' weekend of early improvisation |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | Invitations to do workshops and lectures on early improvisation, promotional material, positive audience feedback about the radio programme and the performances by The Division Lobby |
| Description | The establishment of my ensemble The Division Lobby marks the first time, to my knowledge, that an early music ensemble has mounted a concert of sophisticated 17th-century improvisation. Several factors make this project unique. It was underpinned by scholarly research and musicological rigour and involved the vitally important dissemination of my findings to colleagues within and outside of The Division Lobby, but the most significant feature of the project was that this dissemination was also brought to the general public through a series of concerts, workshops, and radio programmes. An important aspect of the creation of The Division Lobby and my curatorship of London Southbank Centre's 'Take the Risk' weekend of early improvisation was the opportunity to prove what I have always suspected: a project of improvised early music is not only possible, but also desirable and inspiring. Extemporization in early music concerts is often met with discouragement, disdain, or downright hostility from group directors. It was totally liberating finally to be given a proper chance to improvise unimpeded by the fears and doubts of others. This was important for our audiences to experience, especially on the classical music platform. The impact on the opinions and observations of the general public regarding improvisation was noticeable throughout the weekend, from the 'Take the Risk' weekend's first event, an open discussion forum involving key artists and the audience, to the workshop at the end of the weekend. Our concerts were attended by a high percentage of professional musicians, both early music and non-specialists (in particular jazz and contemporary improvisers), in addition to composers, students, radio and newspaper journalists, concert promoters, group directors, and amateur musicians, who attested to an experience combining informative content with musical pleasure. As curator of 'Take the Risk' I was given free reign to choose ground-breaking programmes with first-rate international artists; this provided a unique opportunity for both established and newly-formed ensembles to introduce rarely-heard forms of extemporization to the general public. Further evidence of the project's impact outside academia includes features on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show and Radio 4's Front Row, articles and reviews in The Financial Times, Guardian, Early Music Today, Independent, Independent on Sunday, Telegraph, Early Music Review, and The Gig, and notices on the websites of Southbank Centre, Newcastle University, University of Birmingham, University of York, Concertgebouw Brugge, and the Avison Ensemble (YouTube). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
| Sector | Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | The establishment of the musical ensemble 'The Division Lobby' |
| Organisation | The Division Lobby |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | As the musical director of this ensemble, I created and booked the collaborative team, dealt with all aspects of promotion including acquiring concerts and creating concerts, researched, discovered, edited, and adapted the musical materials used in the concert, and created and disseminated publicity materials about the performances. I instructed the members of the ensemble in various aspects of the forms used for improvisation, the historical background of the music, and the materials which could be used to prepare for the concerts we undertook. I also planned and directed workshops and rehearsals and created an atmosphere in which it was possible for nine talented individuals to work together to create entirely improvised concerts of early music. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My partners in this ensemble each approached their tasks in a highly individual and inventive manner - exactly what was hoped for in this situation. They were eager to learn about some of the less familiar forms their improvisations could take, and each member undertook a course of individual work on the tasks assigned using the materials and methods I had suggested would be beneficial. They also brought to the project many of their own thoughts about the techniques of improvisation, made observations about the process and progress of the ensemble, and initiated thought-provoking discussions about all aspects of the project. Most importantly, they applied imagination and spirit to the tasks given in order to attain the goals I envisaged for the ensemble, and did so with excellence. |
| Impact | Outputs and outcomes include concerts, workshops, open rehearsals, discussion forums, radio broadcasts, CD recording, lecture/demonstrations, tuition, newspaper articles, conference papers, and chairing of conference papers. A further outcome, collaboration with other musicians on improvisation projects, has included combining early and contemporary musical improvisation and improvisational techniques. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Chair for the session 'The Lost Art of Ornamentation' at the Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | keynote/invited speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I introduced the speakers and the importance of their research and papers. I chaired the post-paper questions and after the completion of all three papers led a discussion on various aspects of early improvisation and ornamentation. Dr Peter Argondizza, Acting Head of Department of Creative and Contextual Studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, asked me to do a lecture/workshop on early improvisation for the Conservatoire in the next academic year. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Concert at Club Inégales, a London venue featuring evenings of musical improvisation, 11/2/16 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I participated in this concert of extemporised music with an early music colleague and the ensemble of contemporary improvisors Notes Inégales, directed by Peter Weigold. This took place at Club Inégales, which provides a platform for improvised music in an informal atmosphere more akin to a jazz club than a concert hall. Notes Inégales did a 20-min set of their own contemporary extemporisations, followed by a set by my early music colleague and me of improvisation in 17th-century Italian style, using the traditional method of creating structures for improvisation derived from pre-composed madrigals. For a final set all the musicians joined forces to create further contemporary improvised pieces; for one of these pieces we used a 17th-century structure composed specifically as a basis for creating an extemporised piece. For a large percentage of this audience it was the first time they'd ever heard improvised music in 17th-century style, and their enthusiasm and interest was enormous. We provided explanations of the style and structures used and discussed the 17th-century materials we used to learn to improvise in this style. Many attendees were interested in finding out more about this type of improvisation and how they could learn to do it themselves. An arts journalist who attended the concert expressed an interest in writing an article about early improvisation in the near future, and asked to interview me on the subject. One of the most interesting aspects of this evening for me was the bringing together of musicians from diverse musical disciplines; added to this was the profound impact the 17th-century style improvisation had on an audience more used to listening to contemporary extemporisation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Conference paper: 'The Establishment of an Italian 17th-century Style Improvising Ensemble' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I presented this paper for the Two Thousand and TEN Symposium (on improvisation) for the Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music at the Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen's University, Belfast. There were questions and discussions afterwards, as well as email contact with people who wanted to learn more about my research. The theme of this year's Two Thousand and TEN Symposium was improvisation. My paper covered different aspects of musical improvisation in the 16th and 17th centuries, its importance to music-making then and now, and how my project has brought knowledge about early improvisation to a wider audience, as well as stimulating interest in both students and professional practitioners. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Open Rehearsal with The Division Lobby for London Southbank Centre's 'Take the Risk' weekend of early improvisation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a demonstration of how the group 'rehearsed' improvised pieces in ensemble, with explanations and questions from the audience. This engaged various members of the audience and the group in discussion about the process and debate. By the end the audience had a much better understand of what improvisation meant and what it entailed, the techniques of early improvisation, the planning and preparation behind improvised performance, and how such a programme was devised and created. Invitations to do workshops, further concerts, interviews, and record a programme for BBC Radio 3's Early Music show |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| URL | http://www.thedivisionlobby.co.uk |
| Description | Paper for the RMA study day: Musicology in Action: the Establishment of an Italian 17th-century Style Improvising Ensemble |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | paper presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I presented a paper/performance for the 'Performing Musicology' conference of the Royal Musical Association on 17 June 2011. In my paper/performance I covered the research I did on performance practice of the falsobordone in early 17th-century Italy and the practical application of this research in developing the programme for my 17th-century improvising ensemble, The Division Lobby. This sparked many questions and discussions with students, researchers, and professional musicians. Some of the original musical material I presented in my paper was used for an experiment in the paper following mine. I learned some new information from the discussions which was useful to my research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Participation in a programme of early 17th-century Italian chamber music entitled 'Italian Revolutionaries' with players from the Irish Baroque Orchestra in which I improvised a toccata in 17th-century style: three concerts between 5 - 7 February 2016. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | For this programme of early 17th-century Italian music I used my research findings into methods and techniques for improvising toccatas, preludios, and similar pieces to create my own improvised toccata for these concerts. I developed a preparation 'scheme' for this undertaking which was based in part on past work in this area and also included new ideas derived from past improvised performances; in particular I endeavoured to use many more techniques for extemporisation practise from extant improvisation treatises from 17th-century Italy. This scheme instilled me with much more confidence and helped me to further hone my improvisation skills; I passed many of my findings and observations on to students and colleagues about how to prepare to improvise in public, which had a positive impact on their own learning and practise. It was also extremely beneficial to have three opportunities in quick succession to practise improvising this sort of piece for live audiences. Judging by the audiences' reactions to the improvised pieces and those of my colleagues, and comments from the audience after the concert, the extemporised elements of this programme were enthusiastically received and made a profound impact on the general atmosphere of the concerts: the public felt much more involved in the experience and very much enjoyed the more informal tone of the concert in general. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Performance Practice classes on 17th-century performance practice and improvisation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I have been invited by the Royal Academy of Music, University of Birmingham Centre for Early Music Performance and Research, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama to give a number of lectures, demonstrations and workshops on 17th-century performance practice and improvisation. Directly as a result of my various projects for my AHRC Fellowship, The Royal Academy of Music, University of Birmingham Centre for Early Music Performance and Research, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama have invited me to give lectures, demonstrations and workshops on 17th-century performance practice and improvisation. I helped students to learn the 'language' of improvisation, how to apply the 'formulas' learned to their improvisations, and how to practise this art effectively for more fluency and excellence. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
| Description | Performance Practice seminar on early 17th-century improvisation for the Historical Performance Dept. of the Royal Academy of Music, 20/10/16 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I gave a lecture on the subject of early 17th-century musical improvisation followed by a practical session where all the students participated. In this practical session extant materials from early 17th-century improvisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Performance Practice seminar on early 17th-century improvisation for the Historical Performance Dept. of the Royal Academy of Music, 22/10/15 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | For this Performance Practice seminar, with about 30 attendees, I gave a lecture on the subject of early 17th-century musical improvisation followed by a practical session where all the students participated. In this practical session extant materials from early 17th-century improvisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Performance Practice seminar on early 17th-century improvisation for the Historical Performance Dept. of the Royal Academy of Music, 26/2/15 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | For this Performance Practice seminar, with about 25 attendees, I gave a lecture on the subject of early 17th-century musical improvisation followed by a practical session where all the students participated. In this practical session extant materials from early 17th-century improvisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. A few of the students were required to give a short lecture/demonstration on a specific topic related to early improvisation which sparked discussion and further demonstrations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Post-concert talk for concert by The Division Lobby |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A post-concert talk was given by me and members of my 17th-century style improvising ensemble, The Division Lobby, for an audience of the general public. This was conducted as a question and answer session so audience members could gain incite into the information used and methods employed to create and perform the concert we had presented. This was an engaging discussion between the concert audience and the musicians about how the evidence regarding musical improvisation in early 17th-century Italy was used to create an improvised programme. Much information was imparted about the process of how one creates such an ensemble and programme. There was much interest in and information imparted about what material was used as 'framework' for the improvisations, and also about the musical instruments used. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.thedivisionlobby.co.uk |
| Description | Practical class for the Historical Performance department of the Royal Academy of Music, 25/6/15 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | For this Performance Practice seminar, with about 8 attendees, I conducted a practical session on early improvisation using extant materials from early 17th-century extemporisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Practical class on early 17th-century improvisation for the Historical Performance Dept. of the Royal Academy of Music, 29/10/15 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | For this practical seminar, with about 20 attendees, extant materials from early 17th-century improvisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. This included advise on practising techniques for improvisation with demonstrations, which sparked discussion and questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Workshop with Collegium Musicum (early music ensemble) from the University of Cambridge for the Academy of Ancient Music's education programme AAMplify. 28/1/2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | For this workshop, with about 25 attendees, I lectured on the subject of early 17th-century musical improvisation followed by a practical session where all the students participated. In this practical session extant materials from early 17th-century improvisation treatises were used by the students as practical study aids to inform and inspire their own improvisations in 17th-century style. This was followed by two sessions where the students experimented with their new-found practical knowledge and worked on adding their own ornamentation to precomposed music. The students were interested and inspired by the work they did, and I was immediately asked to do a follow-up workshop for them sometime in the next few months. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |