A MASS OF MANY PARTS!
Have you heard of Alessandro Striggio? Well, I hadn't, until John Wren of the Border Marches Early Music Forum contacted me about the possibility of putting on a workshop and performance of Striggio's Missa Sopra, Ecco si beato giorno in Kidderminster Town Hall. It transpires that this Mass, which preceded Tallis's Spem in Alium (for eight five-part choirs) is written for five choirs of between 40 and 60 parts! Which basically means that they need 120 (or preferably 240) singers and at least 120 instrumentalists to cover every part.
The workshop will take place on Sunday, November 6, from 11am to 4.30 pm, and participants will be coming from a very wide area.
Leading the workshop will be Robert Hollingworth and David Hatcher, both of whom are well-known internationally as exponents of early music.
Members of KCS are invited to take part, at a concessionary cost of £14. You can find more details and an application form at http://www.bmemf.org.uk/future-workshops.html.
