With 40 acts and 80 performances, First Night Morris County features something for everyone on New Year’s Eve. Anglophiles should be especially thrilled with this doubleheader:
There is a British Invasion tribute by the Robert Murdock Band at Morristown’s Community Theatre, shows at 9:45 pm and 10:45 pm. Yet Brits were making music long before the Beatles…
The Early Music Players will play hits from the reign of another Queen Elizabeth–the first Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare’s monarch–at St. Peter’s Parish House, 7:15 pm and 8:15 pm.
We asked Kris Lamb of the Early Music Players what it doth mean to put a Shakespearean spin on the New Year…
MorristownGreen.com: Hi Kris. Your First Night program is titled, Birthday for the Bard: Music from Shakespeare’s England. Will there be any similarities to the Robert Murdock Band’s British Invasion Tribute, also on First Night?
Kris: Both groups take their audience on a journey back in time, share music that was popular in England and dress appropriately for the time. One big difference is that the music in our program was nearly 400 years earlier 🙂
MG: Tell us a little more about the Early Music Players. How far back do you go, and why did you want to form a band around this music? Who are the other members, and why are you all attracted to these songs?
Kris: The Early Music Players were formed in 1972, so it’s been around longer than any of our current members have been in the group! We perform music from the 12th – 18th centuries in costume and using reproductions of historical instruments. The other members performing for First Night include Ilizabeth Cabrera, Joanna Hoty Russell and guest Roland Hutchinson.
I can’t speak for the others, but some things that attract me to this music are the colorful sounds produced by the early instruments, the flexibility to decide which instruments to use on a piece and the “every day” themes of the music that are still relevant for modern day listeners.
For example, we use various sizes of recorders, flutes, gemshorns, krummhorns, violas da gamba and more. We decide which instruments to use in a musical selection and we could alter the instrumentation from one performance to the next.
Like modern day jazz, we are also expected to improvise on top of the written music, so even if we use the same instrumentation, there could be differences in the actual notes we play.
MG: Any idea what life was like for musicians in Shakespeare’s day? If you could time-travel back and become a performer in the Bard’s England, would you do it? Why or why not?
Kris: A professional musician in Shakespeare’s day most likely started his training at a young age by singing in a church choir. He might have been a son of a musician.
In addition to church music, there were other music jobs. For example, the town “waits” were the local town band and played for public events. Musicians were used for theater productions and noble households needed musicians for their various festivities. Queen Elizabeth I employed at least 70 court musicians! Even the middle class households typically employed at least one servant who could also perform music.
What was life like? I imagine it varied, depending upon the the employment. In our First Night program, we include a short, humorous and timeless exchange between several musicians. It’s from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and it tells me that some things haven’t changed very much over the years. 🙂
If I could time-travel back to the Bard’s England and become a performer, I would do it, at least for a few days, to gain greater insight into what life was really like, especially for females and female musicians.
While there, I’d like to meet Queen Elizabeth I. During a time when women were subservient to men, she was a remarkable woman who successfully led an entire country!
I’d also take a trip to Italy to meet Maddalena Casulana, the first European female to publish music. Through her music, she wanted to show the world the “vain error of men,” who thought was that only men possessed the gifts of intellect and artistry.
MG: Jumping back to the 21st century for a moment, let’s deal with some modern conflicts. Your husband John sings with the Harmonium Choral Society… also on the First Night roster. Will each of you get to catch the other’s gig? Will you be able to ring in 2011 together? How will friends and family decide whose act to catch?
Kris: For the first time in many years, John will not be singing with Harmonium for First Night, so he will be able to hear the Early Music Players. For friends and family, there’s no issue because both Harmonium and the Early Music Players have two performances during First Night. We know a number of people who will hear one group and then the other. In recent years, both groups have performed in the earlier time slots so we are back home or at a friend’s house in time to ring in the new year.
Interestingly, at least one of us has performed in a First Night ever since it started in New Jersey many years ago, first in Montclair and then in Morristown. From a “family” perspective, it was actually much harder when our kids were small and we both performed in the same group. However, we always made it work — we would have someone take the kids around to First Night events while we performed.
MG: How was New Year’s Eve celebrated in Shakespeare’s time?
Kris: I don’t know much about New Year’s Eve specifically, but the period from December 24th (Christmas Eve) through January 6th (Epiphany, also called Twelfth Night) was called “Christmastide” and was a time for celebration, feasts, caroling and wassailing. It’s interesting to note that at this time, gifts were not given on Christmas Day, they were given on New Year’s.
Wassail is a a spiced, alcoholic drink and wassailing comes from an Anglo-Saxon phrase that means “good health.” Wassailing involved going around the neighborhood with an empty mug or bowl and expecting each host to fill it up in return for a toast to good health.
MG: How expensive are your instruments? What kind of special care do they require?
Kris: Our instruments are modern reproductions of historical instruments. Most of the original instruments that survive today, especially wind instruments, are not in very good condition or they are preserved in a museum.
The original wind instruments, such as the flutes and recorders, also vary in size and pitch. The standards we have today did not exist back then. This presents some challenges for both the modern historical instrument maker, who sometimes makes a few adjustments when making a replica of an historical wind instrument, and the modern day performer of historical instruments, who must decide which version or versions of the historical reproductions to purchase.
Prices vary, depending on the instrument. For someone who is just getting started, a plastic recorder, which requires virtually no special care, can be purchased for under $20. On the other end of the spectrum, a fine string instrument can cost thousands of dollars.
Special care… the wooden wind instruments, such as the recorders and flutes, need to be dried out after each use, oiled on occasion and must avoid extreme changes in temperature to prevent cracking. The instruments are also sent back to their maker or a repair person for periodic tune ups.
MG: When you’re not playing 16th-century tunes, what modern forms of music do you play? From a musical standpoint, what special challenges are posed by this early music? Is there anything tricky about the timing, phrasing, keys, etc., compared with contemporary music?
Kris: I enjoy many types of music. In addition to the early winds, I play the modern flutes — the piccolo, concert flute, alto flute and bass flute. In addition to the Early Music Players, I perform with several ensembles and as a freelance musician.
For example, I perform with the Dolce Trio (chamber music), Idyllwood (flute and guitar duo, performing traditional Irish and Brazilian music in addition to classical and modern repertoire), Blisters (a contra dance band) and the Eclectic Consort (a little bit of everything). I often accompany singers — from singer-songwriters to church choirs and large groups like Harmonium.
Challenges posed by early music …. there are early music performance practices that need to be understood. For example, the dynamic range of the early instruments is not as wide as on modern instruments, so the way in which we articulate the notes is especially important to provide the sense of contrasting dynamics.
We also need to pay attention to the timing and phrasing of the music. Very talented modern musicians can easily be thrown off by some of the rhythmic patterns. Unlike most modern music, we also need to determine what instrumentation we will use on each piece and how the music will be embellished beyond what is written on the page.
MG: For those who have not heard the Early Music Players, what can they expect on First Night? What type of person is most likely to appreciate your show?
Kris: They can expect a feast for the eyes and ears. We will be in costume and performing instruments that audience members might not have heard before, such as the viola da gamba, Renaissance flute, gemshorn and krumhorn.
The pieces tend to be fairly short and we’ll take some time to explain the instruments and music. Some of the themes expressed in the songs will be familiar to today’s audiences.
For example, in the Ballad of the Scornful Maid, a young girl complains about the men in her life and pleads with the listener to find her someone more suitable. There are a few words and symbolism that will probably be unfamiliar to most listeners. We’ll explain some of this, but not all, since some is inappropriate for young ears!
What type of person is most likely to appreciate our show…. people who enjoy Shakespeare, the Renaissance or interesting instruments and sounds will appreciate our show. This includes elementary school students to senior citizens.
At a recent concert, a middle school band student was mesmerized by our program and stayed long after the program to take a closer look at the instruments and to ask questions. A student from the College of St. Elizabeth who has a passion for Shakespeare and music was the inspiration for scheduling this particular program for this First Night.
MG: Thanks very much, Kris. Good luck Friday, and Happy New Year!
Kris: Thank you! We look forward to First Night each year. It’s a great way to bring people together and to celebrate the arts.
There’s still time to get discounted badges for First Night Morris County, the New Year’s Eve entertainment extravaganza in Morristown. They are on sale through Thursday, Dec. 30, at the Community Theatre, and at FirstNightMorris.com, for $20, or $70 for four badges. On Dec. 31, all badges are $25. A badge gets you in to as many performances as you like…there are 80 to choose from!
