Editorial
I’m looking forward to seeing lots of you (more than sixty I’m told) at the Dutch church next weekend for the Andrew Carwood workshop. Unfort unately Michael Reynor has had to ask me to let you know that the District Line between Earls Court and Whitechapel and also the whole of the Circle Line will be closed on Saturday 3rd March, so there will be no access to Mansion House station. The Northern Line through Charing Cross will also be closed but according to Transport for London the Central and Metropolitan lines are still running.

Don’t forget to let the Michael know if you can’t get to the workshop, which is now full. There was a waiting list for the Peter Syrus day at Ickenham, but two people simply failed to turn up so it wasn’t possible to give their places to anyone else.

I’m sorry Tamesis is so late this month. I didn’t realise in time that the copy date last week was during half term, when I planned to be away. I’ve decided to postpone next month’s copy date to the third Monday (19th March) to leave a reasonable gap between issues, and I don’t intend to produce Tamesis in April at all because it would be due out during Easter. The copy date for May will be Monday 7th (the bank holiday) so that I can get Tamesis out as early as possible.

You will see from the front cover that we have arranged some more events. We are hosting the National Early Music Association day this year, which usually includes a workshop, a lecture and a concert. Simon Hill is organising a baroque orchestra day in the autumn or early next year, and there may also be a workshop for voices and instruments on 7th October in conjunction with the Wooburn festival. I hope to be able to give you more information about all these next month.
Victoria Helby

Chairman’s Chat
I find that I have signed up for Forum workshops on three successive Saturdays: following TVEMF's workshop of music by Cipriano de Rore and Andrea Gabrieli I am going to SWEMF's "Ad fugam" in Challock, and finally there is the music of Hieronymus Praetorius at the Dutch Church. If the others are as good as the day with Peter Syrus (and with tutors David Allinson and Andrew Carwood this could well be the case), then I shall be delighted. His organisation of the music was exemplary - we even had our names written against our line on our scores or parts, and were presented with a summary of the composers' lives for reference. The music was largely unfamiliar, though our Secretary pointed out to me that I must have previously taken part in Quem vidistis, pastores by Andrea Gabrieli, but playing the top line on cornett is a different experience from singing a slow-moving inner part as I did this time. I found the Maria stabat particularly moving and Peter's favourite, Ave regina caelorum by Rore, was stunning. Peter joked that anyone who found they had one of the long-note cantus-firmus-like parts in the three pieces which featured them should apply for their money back. Well as it happens I found myself in that situation but enjoyed the experience very much, so TVEMF's funds will not suffer on that account. Incidentally I gather that The Andrew Carwood workshop is fully booked unless you are a tenor!

Hugh Rosenbaum has instigated what he hopes will be an ongoing custom of circulating CDs of early music which, whilst perhaps not worth a place in ones permanent collection, might be of interest to others. I am minded to try to organise a circle of people who pass CDs around, say once a month, so if you are interested please get in touch with me, by email or other means.
David Fletcher

Penny Vinson also wrote to express her appreciation of the Ickenham day with Peter Syrus: This was a very well organised day, despite the need for re-arrangements of forces between many of the pieces tackled. Very enjoyable, with excellent opportunities to sing a wide variety of lines in the various choirs demanded by the music. I was very impressed too. Although due to lack of voice on the day I had to play the recorder rather than sing as Peter had arranged for me, it never took him more than about half a minute to find something suitable for me to play. Victoria