From Bingen to Bach

A lecture and demonstration on early music for Grade 10 12 music students and teachers with live performances by The African Renaissance Ensemble

Journey from the luminous music of Hildegard of Bingen to the brilliance of J. S. Bach in an engaging live programme that brings Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music to life. Through performance, commentary and demonstration, students and teachers will explore key styles, composers, instruments and innovations connected to the Grade 10 12 music curriculum, while gaining richer historical and listening context.

A great opportunity for students to

• Actively learn about early music in a fun and engaging way
• See how instruments developed over the centuries
• Experience different systems of tuning and intonation
• Learn about improvisation and baroque performance practices
• Build a foundation for a deeper understanding of later periods

A perfect PD opportunity for teachers

• See and hear period performance in action
• Reinforce understanding of earlier musical periods

The programme will cover topics including:

The Medieval Period

• Monody
• Early notation
• Organum
• The origins of polyphony
• Parallel writing

The Renaissance

• Church, dance and narrative music
• Advanced polyphony
• Mensural notation
• Modal writing
• Intonation and temperament
• Use of Consonance and dissonance
• Music, mathematics, and God
• Writing for consort
• Ground bass
• Continuo
• Figured bass

The Baroque

• The dance suite
• The trio sonata
• The birth of opera
• Pitch
• Countertenors and the Castrati
• Transition from modes to keys
• The concerto
• The birth of the orchestra