Welcome to the New York Recorder Guild
A chapter of the American Recorder Society
We are a group of recorder players in the New York metropolitan area who celebrate the recorder and its music by giving players an opportunity to meet and make music together!
Upcoming meetings
FEBRUARY 11, 2023, AT 1:30 PM
Music Director Deborah Booth will conduct Italian Renaissance and early Baroque selections from Floriano Canali, Andreas de Silva, Vittoria Aleotti, Maddalena Casulana, Francesca Caccini, and Leonora Duarte...plus a surprise!
Save these Saturdays for our 2022–23 season of in-person meetings!
September 17 led by Daphna Mor
October 29 led by Patricia Neely
November 12 led by Deborah Booth
December 17 led by David Hurd
January 21 led by Larry Zukof
February 11 led by Deborah Booth
March 18 led by Wendy Powers
April 15 led by Valerie Horst
May 20 led by Susan Hellauer
Recent meetings
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, AT 1:30 PM
"Drive the Cold Winter Away" led by Larry Zukof
In the middle of January’s cold, dark weather, what better way to spend an afternoon than by playing songs, dances, fantasias, musical games, and puzzles. This session begins with pieces attributed to Henry VIII: the carol Green Grow’th the Holly and three short dances. Two rule-oriented compositions follow: Alfonso Ferrabosco the Elder’s Fantasia on the solfege syllables Ut re mi fa sol la and William Byrd’s tour de force Diliges Dominum Deum Tuum—an eight-part motet that is a palindrome with the instruction that each SATB part is actually a canon (two parts in one) with each part sung/played forward and backwards simultaneously. Our program will conclude with two contemporary settings: Will Ayton’s Fantasia on the spiritual Poor Little Jesus from his Christmas Letters collection and an arrangement of Playford’s tune Drive the Cold Winter Away by Annette Bauer.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 1:30 PM
Led by David Hurd
This meeting will be held in the nave of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, widely known for its resonant acoustics which greatly enhance the chant, choral, and organ music presented there. These acoustics can be very flattering to music as the natural “sustain” in the room allows for the gathering of sounds and effects in ensemble music which are not possible to achieve in a “dry” acoustic. Engaging these possibilities can be an exciting challenge and a rewarding musical experience. On December 17th we will take on the challenge of playing and listening together in special ways, and we will experience the room’s unique sonic response as it shapes our music. The repertoire for the session will span the 16th through 20th centuries and include seasonal works in four parts by Praetorius, Schein, Scheidt, J. S. Bach, Hugo Distler, and David Goldstein. A new piece, Acoustic Fifths, is being composed by David Hurd especially for this session! This piece is designed intentionally for recorders in the generous resonance of the church.
