Editorial
David has managed to book Burnham Grammar School once again for our annual Baroque Chamber Music playing day which I organise and, if asked, coach. You are all welcome provided that you play an instrument that would have existed in some form in the 17th/18th centuries and your sight-reading is up to playing a reasonably demanding part on your own. As usual solo singers are invited too, to sing with obbligato instrumentalists. Owners of harpsichords and spinets are particularly welcome and do not have to pay if they bring and tune their instrument, even if they do not intend to play it themselves. Pianists who would like to try playing a harpsichord or spinet will be most welcome as we are sometimes short of keyboard players, and as usual more violinists would be very helpful and make it possible to include larger works. Pitch will be both 440 and 415 to cater for everyone. If you wonder if the day is suitable for you, do get in touch. Details are on the form.

If you have any items for the agenda or apologies for the AGM (5pm at Chesham White Hill Centre on Saturday 9th October after the first day of the Rosenmüller vespers weekend) please email or post them to me as soon as possible. I hope it will be our usual short AGM, as some of us are going to the Little Missenden Festival concert in the evening. Details of this are in the Concerts list and when last I heard some tickets were still available.

Although you should continue to think of the second Monday of the month as the deadline for copy for Tamesis, this October and November the deadline will be the third Monday, and there will be no December issue.

streetmap.co.uk has changed again. If you look there for a map for the October weekend with Philip Thorby you now need to enter just "Chesham" as a UK place. Then click on large map and look for White Hill and the community centre just above the station. The main road running through the town is the A416.

When I got back from my holiday and looked at all the bookings I was dismayed by my first impression that they were all from sopranos! Luckily this was just the first few envelopes I opened, but there is still rather a shortage of tenors, basses and violins, and more sackbuts would be good too. The continuo section looks good. Sorry, no more recorders. Otherwise, if you offered to bring an instrument as well as sing, don't forget to bring it!

I've been sent a leaflet for the London Bach Festival Bachfest in November. It includes concerts (some free), masterclasses, lectures and a Bach cantata service at the Dutch church. Phone 01883 717372 for a copy of the leaflet, as it would take too long for me to type them all out. There are also details on www.bachlive.co.uk
Victoria Helby

Chairman's Chat
The "Music in Rome" workshop proved to be almost entirely devoted to Morales, who only worked there for a few years, but it was wonderful music so nobody demanded a refund! The Josquin chanson Mille Regretz has been familiar to me for most of my musical life, and whilst I have an idealised concept of what it should be like, this has not often been realised in practice. Part of the problem stems from it being available in the Susato Danserye, beloved of crumhorn players. Need I say more? My belief that it is a most sublime melody was justified by the fact that I had not tired of it even after several hours of the Missa Mille Regretz where it is ever present, particularly in the soprano 1 part where it is quoted verbatim. At one point I suggested that the ladies singing that line might like to swap with the seconds for a change but the idea was turned down. I could imagine a future workshop based on the various levels of regret: Plusiers Regretz, Mille Regretz, Cent Mille Regrets and perhaps even Je ne Regret Rien* but perhaps Piaf isn't early enough for TVEMF?

Loquabantur Jacob showed a different side of Morales but was just as beautiful even in our al fresco performance in the street outside the church. David Allinson was his usual exuberant self, with constant encouragement (and even some non-food similes) and I felt he was not disappointed in us. I certainly enjoyed the day, even if I was singing a baritone part which (because of an upward transposition of a tone) turned out to go up to high G.

I am looking forward very much to the Rosenmüller Vespers as I thoroughly enjoyed the music by him that was done at a Beauchamp Summer School a while ago. Philip Thorby's events are always popular so sign up quickly if you haven't already done so.
David Fletcher

Opportunities to make music
On Saturday 2nd October at the delightful 18th Century United Reformed Church in Litchfield, from 2 to 5pm (during a weekend festival of all things 18th century in Lichfield) the West Gallery Music Association will be rehearsing and performing under the direction of Sally Drage. The session is called Dancing in the Aisles: Church music like you've never heard it before. Singers and instrumentalists welcome.
Further details from Sally Drage sally.drage@iclway.co.uk (01260 270217)

TVEMF member Maria Harjani has sent me details of the 2004-2005 season of the Hampstead Music Club. They have masterclasses and workshops, opportunities to take part in chamber music, instrumental and singers' evenings, a motet and madrigal group and a number of special events. For more details and a leaflet contact Maria on 020 7278 1991 maria-harjani@msn.com or look at http://www.camdennet.org.uk/groups/hmc/

News of Members' Activities
Samuel Scheidt Anniversary Concert - Tuesday 5 October
One of the many anniversaries in 2004 is that of the central German organist and composer, Samuel Scheidt, a pupil of Sweelinck and one of the founders of the mature German style that led to Bach. Our member, Andrew Benson-Wilson, will be giving a recital of some of the organ works from Scheidt's monumental Tabulatura Nova (1624) at the Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street in Mayfair on Tuesday 5 October, starting at 1.10. Admission is free, but there is a retiring collection.

Another TVEMF member Alison Bowler has sent the following invitation:
If you are near Bond Street on Thursday 28th October at 6pm do come along to a short, free, early evening concert given by Pellegrina at the former Trinity College of Music building. It will take place in the MacLaren Hall at 'The School of Economic Science', 11-13 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ. The concert will consist of music by Scarlatti, Telemann and Handel - all welcome!
Victoria Helby

Job Offered
Baroque ensemble based in London requires young professional instrumentists – singers and choir are welcome. Tel. (eve): 0208 5638267 or email: hanbarne@tiscali.co.uk, by sending CV.