Singers can again look forward to a stimulating weekend of sight singing and lectures (as well as enjoying our infectious mix of good company and good food!) at the Fall 2014 Singers’ Retreat, to be held September 27–28 at the SF Theological Seminary in San Anselmo. We meet again under the inspired direction of Professor Bill Mahrt, who brings his combination of scholarship and musical challenge.
The Singers’ Retreat will sing motets of Jean Mouton (1459–1522). Mouton was a direct contemporary of Josquin des Prez, but he spent his entire career in France, notably in the service of the French kings. From this service come several ceremonial motets, those for the court of Francis I commemorating his coronation and his victory in the Battle of Marignano, and for the court of Louis XII, on the birth of a daughter and the death of his queen, Anne of Brittany. The motets range from intensely contrapuntal works which include inventive canons, through smoothly imitative works, to highly demonstrative ceremonial works in declamatory style. This range of works will provide a challenge to the singers and a great reward in performance.
We meet Saturday morning, September 27. Please arrive between 9:00 and 9:15 a.m. to check in. Find your place and be ready to warm up and then start singing promptly at 9:30. We’ll sing all day Saturday and Sunday. We end our weekend with a performance on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. for our friends and the public. This is held in beautiful Montgomery Chapel, the acoustically resonant “castle” at the foot of the Seminary campus. A donation will be requested to benefit the San Francisco Early Music Society, of which the Singers’ Retreat is an Affiliate. SFEMS enables us to do two sessions per year through its Affiliates program, which provides the insurance necessary to perform in a public place.
In addition to frequent visits to our loaded snack table (both days), we take plenty of breaks during which we rest our voices and are treated to our internationally known conductor’s vast knowledge about the background of the music we are singing. Professor Mahrt’s approach is both easygoing and demanding, which makes for a stimulating and rewarding weekend for all. Besides, we are famous for our enjoyment of these sessions. Our Saturday afternoon session ends with happy hour at 5:00, then dinner ($15 optional) Meals are catered (lunch both days and breakfast on Sunday) and are included in the registration fee for the weekend. Tuition is $125 and includes all of the above plus music.
Overnight accommodations are available in the Conference Center ($60.00 for a single; $30.00 for a double.) Music can be requested in advance. To register for the retreat, please download the attached form and mail with your check to the address shown on the form. Last day to register is Friday, September 19, 2014.
One final caveat: As many of you know, the Seminary Conference Center has presented us with a challenge. The campus (the area where we usually gather) will be under construction from the beginning of the summer with plans to be finished by the end of August, 2015. We still don’t yet know how this might affect us at the end of September. They will keep us up to date as our retreat come closer.
