Sumartónleikar í Skálholtskirkju

Recorder professor Ian Wilson teaches a masterclass in Skálholt July 26^th at 3 pm. The masterclass is open to all recorder pupils and students, along with others interested in early music performance.

Ian Wilson is the Head of Woodwind at Eton College, the principal recorder professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is a visiting recorder specialist at the North East of Scotland Music School in his hometown of Aberdeen.

More information.

Now a draft of this summer’s programme is out. See overview below:

The Norwegian chamber choir Christians Consort performs early music along with new music under the direction of Martin Pearson. Saturday 29.6.at 3:00 pm and Sunday 30.6. at 3:00 pm.

Caput ensemble: Harpsichord player Guðrún Óskarsdóttir performs pieces by Louis Couperin and the Icelandic composers Leifur Þórarinsson and Kolbeinn Bjarnason. Thursday 4.7. at 8:00 pm and Saturday 6.7. at 8:00 pm.

The chamber ensemble Caput performs two programmes with pieces by Claude Debussy, Kolbeinn Bjarnason and Hugi Guðmundsson. Saturday 6.7. at 3:00 pm and Sunday 7.7. at 3:00 pm

Concert with students from the festival’s baroque workshop. Saturday 6.7. at 5:00 pm.

The Icelandic chamber choir Hljómeyki premiers pieces by this year’s composer in residence, Hreiðar Ingi Þorsteinsson. Choir director: Marta G. Halldórsdóttir. Saturday 13.7. at 3:00 pm and Sunday 14.7. at 3:00pm

Sigurður Halldórsson and Dean Ferrell perform 17th century music for tenor and bass violins. Saturday 13.7. at 5:00 pm.

The Skálholt Quartet performs quartets by Mozart and string trios by Schubert. Thursday 18.7. at 8:00 pm and Saturday 20.7. at 8:00 pm.

The Breiðholt Church Choir perform a new piece by Hróðmar I. Sigurbjörnsson, “Rennur upp um nótt” composed to a poem by Ísak Harðarson, framed with Psalms no. 138 and 150, and motet “Jesu Meine Freude” by J.S. Bach with a chamber ensemble. Director: Örn Magnússon. Saturday 20.7. at 3:00 pm.

The chamber ensemble Nordic Affect, recently nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize, performs pieces by Purcell and Händel with soloists Benedikt Kristjánsson tenor and Ágúst Ólafsson bariton. Thursday 25.7. at 8:00 pm, Friday 26.7. at 8:00 pm and Saturday 27.7. at 3:00 pm.

Friday 26.7. Ian Wilson, professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, teaches a recorder masterclass ending with participants’ concert at 5:00 pm.

Bristol Bach Choir performs renaissance music by Purcell, Tallis, Byrd and Zelenka along with newer pieces by Tavener, Lukaszewski and James MacMillan. Saturday 27.7. at 5:00 pm.

The Skálholt Bach Consort performs pieces for horns and strings by Telemann and concerto for piccolo cello by Tartini with horn player Ella Vala Ármannsdóttir and Sigurður Halldórsson on piccolo cello. Thursday 1.8. at 8:00 pm

Canadian-Icelandic violinist Kathleen Kajioka leads the Skálholt Bach Consort, performing German and Italian music for strings and continuo from the 17th century. Saturday 3.8 at 3:00 & 5:00 pm and Sunday 4.8. at 3:00 pm

will be held from Saturday 29. June until Monday 5. August

Today you can hear Icelandic and English songs for soprano and guitar, performed by Signý Sæmundsdóttir and Þórarinn Sigurbergsson at 3 PM
(see here)
And French rennaissance songs and dances performed by the Icelandic/French trio Corpo di strumenti, at 5 PM
(see here) – this programme will be performed again on Sunday at 3 PM


Then the last chance to hear Bruno Cocset and Les Basses Reunies this time in Iceland is in the 5 o’clock mass in Skálholt on Sunday.

Consort Music & Chamber Music from Renaissance until first Baroque (Spain – Italia – England – Germany – France) performed on instruments made by Charles Riché

Basses Reunies:
Bruno Cocset : Alto, tenor & bass violins – Direction
Steinunn Arnbjörg Stefánsdóttir, Mathurin Matharel
& Sigurður Halldórsson: Tenor & bass violins
Bertrand Cuiller : Harpsichord and organ

Program:
Diego Ortiz (1510 – 1570) : madrigal, ricercare
TOLEDE – NAPLES
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525/6 – 1594) : ricercare a 4 parti
ROME
Thomas Lupo (1571 – 1627) : fantaisia à 3
VENICE – LONDON
Thomas Tomkins (1572 –1656) : In nomine – Pavan
WORCESTER – LONDON
Matthew Locke (1621 –1677): suite in D (extraits)
EXETER – HOLLANDE
Bartolomeo Montalbano (1600 ca. – 1651) : sinfonia a 4
BOLOGNA
Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695) : fantaisia à 4
LONDON
Biaggio Marini (1594 –1663): passacaille
BRESCIA – BRUSSELS – NEUBURG – DONAU – DUSSELDORF – VENICE – PADUA – PARMA – FERRARA – MILANO – BERGAMO… BRESCIA
Marc Antoine Charpentier (1634 – 1704) : concert à 4 (extraits)
PARIS – ROMA – VERSAILLES
Johann Rosenmuller (1617 – 1684) : sonata a 3
LEIPZIG – VENICE
Marin Marais (1656 – 1728) : sonate en trio en mi mineur (extraits)
PARIS – VERSAILLES
Giovanni Legrenzi (1626 – 1690) : sonata a 4
BERGAME – VENICE – FERRARE – PARIS – VENICE

Tonight at 8 PM luthier Charles Riché joined by Bruno Cocset and Les Basses Reunies will offer an introduction to the roots of the string instruments of the Baroque era and the rich repertoire of European 17th century instrumental music.
Their collaboration has brought forward a whole new approach to the bowed string instrumental performance practice of the 17th century, looking at the interrelation between the violin consort and the viol consort and florishing into a reconstruction of a consort of “viola bastarda” instruments that take certain characteristics from both viol and violin instruments, bringing light to the fact that in the 17th century, before the birth of the violoncello, those two instrumental families were not as distinct from each other as they are regarded in our times.
The instruments which will be introduced are:
- Violin – 17. century « le Purcell »
- 5 string alto violin « le Bettera »
- 5 string tenor « le Baschénis »
- 5 string tenor violin „à la bastarda“ eftir Amati
- 6 string bass violin „à la bastarda“ eftir Amati
- ‘Celloo – 17. century « Aubade »

Today, 28th of July at 3 PM there will be a portrait concert of composer/guitarist Hallvarður Ásgeirsson where 8 of his works will be performed. With Hallvarður, leika Anna Garðarsdóttir will play violin, Hallgrímur Jensson ‘cello and Alexandra Kjeld double bass.
At 5 PM – and tomorrow at 3 PM there will be concerts dedicated to gifted young musicians who have participated in Rennaissance and baroque music workshops led by ‘cellist and artistic director, Sigurdur Halldorsson.

The musicians are: Alexandra Kjeld double bass, Anna Garðarsdóttir violin, Bragi Jónsson bass, Fjóla Kristín Nikulásdóttir soprano, Hallgrímur Jensson cello, Hildigunnur Einarsdóttir alto, Hildur Heimisdóttir tenor violin, Lilja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir mezzo-soprano and the Skálholt cathedral organist, Jón Bjarnason.
The program will be as follows

Ludwig Senfl:
- Lamentatio – Carmen, a 4
- Carmen in re, a 4
- Carmen in re, a 4

William Byrd:
- Lord, to thee I make my moan í 5 röddum – paraphrase by William Whittingham of Psalm 130

Johann Christoph Bach:
- Ach, dass ich Wassers gnug – Lamento for alto voice, violin, 3 violas, violone and organ

William Byrd:
Triumph with pleasant melody a 5 – a dialogue between Christ and the Sinner

Dietrich Buxtehude:
- Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin – 4 counterpoints on cantus firmus for soprano, bass and four instrumental parts
- Klaglied – for soprano, 2 violas and continuo

Johann Sebastian Bach:
- From cantata BWV 106, Gottes Zeit, or Actus tragicus – „In deine Hände”, „Heute wirst du mit mir in Paradies sein” and „Mit Fried und Freud” for alto voice and bass

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer:
- Sonata Lamentevole, for violin, 2 violas and continuo in B

Johann Sebastian Bach:
- From cantata BWV 202, Weichet nur betrübte Schatten or Wedding Cantata – „Die Welt wird wieder neu” and „Phöbus eilt mit schnellen Pferden” for soprano and continuo

Henry Purcell:
- From Dido and Aeneas, „Thy hand Belinda” and „When I am Laid in Earth”

Giovanni Perluigi da Palestrina:
- Pater noster – motet a5

This week there will be an open baroque workshop on Thursday 26th July at 8 PM. The participants will then give two concerts over the weekend: On Saturday 28th at 5 PM and Sunday 29th at 3 PM.
The musicians participating are:
Fjóla Nikulásdóttir soprano
Hildigunnur Einarsdóttir and Lilja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir mezzo sopranos
Bragi Jónsson bass
Anna Garðarsdóttir violin
Hildur Heimisdóttir tenor violin
Hallgrímur Jensson cello
Alexandra Kjeld double bass
Jón Bjarnason organ/harpsichord
Leader: Sigurður Halldórsson, artistic director of Skálholt Summer Concerts

Thursday 19. July:
Kl. 7:30 PM – Vesper I – St. Thorlak’s Office

kl. 8 PM – Morning and Evening Psalm paraphrases from 16. – 17. century and sacred Icelandic two part songs

Vocal ensemble Voces Thules was founded in 1991 and has established itself as a leading ensemble for performance and research on Icelandic medieval music. The recording and publishing of St. Thorlak’s Office, one of Iceland’s most important music manuscript, is a the most extensive project that the ensemble has undertaken so far. In connection to their emphases on medieval music, the ensemble has acquired a small collection of period instruments. Voces Thules also perform music from other periods, such as music by Icelandic contemporary composers.
Voces Thules has performed widely ‘round the World, for example in 15 cities of Japan for a total of approximately 30 thousand people.
In Iceland, the ensemble has held regular concerts in all parts of the country as well as with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Dance Company, CAPUT ensemble and at Reykjavik Arts Festival and Skálholt Summer Concerts. Voces Thules were awarded the Iceland Music Price in 2006 for their publication of St. Thorlak’s Office and in 2009 they were nominated for the Nordic Music Price.