The members of Elysium are all experienced teachers, and we are pleased to offer 1 to 5 day workshops on location.  In addition, individual members of the group are available to provide 30-45  minute pre-concert lectures on subjects pertinent to our concert programs.  The following is a selection of possible offerings. 

Workshop for amateur and professional singers and instrumentalists.

For most musicians, the eight melodic modes are an abstraction to be briefly memorized in music theory class and then quickly forgotten.  For performers of medieval music, familiarity with the modes is essential for an authentic interpretation.  In this course, we will introduce each of the modes not as a theoretical combination of whole and half-steps, but as a sound-world, endowed with layers of meaning.

Hildegard von Bingen

Workshop for amateur and professional singers.

Hildegard von Bingen has become an icon of the medieval world.  Her unusual position of fame and influence in the male-dominated world around her has stimulated interest well beyond the sphere of early music.  In this course, after a brief introduction to the abbess, healer, and mystic, we will focus in on Hildegard’s compositions.  Participants will learn to read and to use Hildegard’s system of notation: heightened Franconian neumes.  After exploring the various melodic modes in which Hildegard wrote, we will choose one piece to learn together, analysing the text and using the authentic practice of learning by rote.

Vocal Ensemble Work

Half-day sessions for individual singers and vocal ensembles of 2-6 members.

Every ensemble needs to find its own ideal mode of working together.  Particularly small, fundamentally democratic groups do well to examine their rehearsal techniques regularly in order to remain efficient while still keeping the creative energies flowing.  We invite young ensembles to bring works-in-progress to be approached either in the framework of a master class, or on an individual basis.  Particular attention will be given to developing techniques for memorization and intonation work.

Introductory Talks

Creating the Program

Music making is, among other things, a constant process of decision-making, particularly in early music and folk music, where the “intentions of the composer” are rarely available. Balancing historically informed performance with the demands of contemporary concert life is a challenge, especially when so many performance issues cannot be conclusively argued.
Subjects to be discussed include the creation of arrangements, the integration of instruments and rhythm in vocal music, and the performance of liturgical music in concert.

The Lauda in its Religious Context

The popularity of the Lauda in medieval Italy can be seen as a natural part of the religious history of the era.  We will explore the circumstances surrounding this development and follow the Lauda in its evolution through the Renaissance.

Reconstructing Medieval Liturgical Drama

Lean how reconstruction of Medieval Liturgical Drama is possible using iconography and sculpture from the region and time period to augment the information in the manuscript itself.
Who participated in the performance of liturgical drama?  Who was on stage, and who was in the audience?  Where did the performance take place, and what were the rituals surrounding the event? How do we interpret the manuscript and build on it to create the performace? These questions and others will be the focus of this talk.