CULTURAL HERITAGE CELEBRATIONS for Historic Sites, Schools, Public Venues
Table of contents:
I. Bells & Motley's French & Dutch Quadricentennial Programs for the Public click here
Special programs marking the introduction of French and Dutch culture to the New World!
II. Sample Press Release click here
III. French Heritage Specialty Programs click here
IV. French Music, Dance, and Culture Programs Flyer click here
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A Quadricentennial Musical Heritage Gift:
Link to our free downloads of period Dutch & French music, to help you celebrate
including "Courante" by Joachim Van Den Hove, published in Utrecht in 1612 and performed here by Bells & Motley Consort on lute and recorder. Joachim was a lutenist and lute teacher to the Princes of Orange.
I. Bells & Motley Olden Music, Dance, and Storytelling
DUTCH MUSIC and FRENCH CULTURAL HERITAGE PERFORMANCES for the Quadricentennial:
Sunday June 7, 2009 10:00-5:00
Lyndhurst National Trust Historic Site, Tarrytown NY
The Hudson River Fest Quadricentennial Celebration
The Hudson River Fest Quadricentennial Celebration festival will showcase Bells & Motley as they present early Dutch and French heritage music, instruments, and dances, and includes a show-and-tell of rare instruments of that era, including Flemish & French bagpipes, keyed fiddles and hurdy gurdies, and more. The festival runs from 10:00-5:00, Bells & Motley's performance times at 12:00 and 2:00, with dancing and informal music between times. www.lyndhurst.org
Saturday June 13, 2009 12:00 and 2:00
Senate House State Historic Site, Kingston NY
Concerts of Early Dutch Folk & Popular Music
The "Double-Dutch" two-day festival runs June 13-14; Bells & Motley present a program of early Dutch heritage music, instruments, and dances, and includes a show-and-tell of rare instruments of that era, including Flemish bagpipes, keyed fiddles, and more.
Sunday June 14, 2009 12:00 and 2:00
Crailo State Historic Site, Rennselaer NY
Concert of Dutch and Flemish Folk & Popular Music
A lively concert of music of the masses played on hurdy gurdy, crumhorns, keyed fiddles, and historic bagpipes. Our 3:00 Concert in the acoustically wonderful First Presbyterian Church, 34 Broadway (just one block from Crailo) -- followed by a bagpipe procession to a reception on the lawns at Crailo! Tickets are $22.50 per person. Call 518-463-8738 for reservations.
Thursday July 29, 2009 beginning at 7:00 pm
Crown Point, NY
Quadricentennial Commemorative Concert Celebration for Samuel de Champlain
Here's a unique chance to step back in time, at the same place where Samuel de Champlain stood 400 years ago to the day! Hear the French musical traditions of the day, performed on our unique collection. Our traditional and historic collection of French instruments includes biniou and bombarde, veuze, cabrette, galoubet et tamborin, vielle a roue, early fiddles, harps, and lute.
At the Lake Champlain Bridge, 739 Bridge Road, Crown Point NY 518-597-4666 www.nysparks.com/sites/info.asp?siteID=8
II. SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE for Lyndhurst Historic Site Quadricentennial Celebration June 7, 2009
"Early Folk & Popular Music from the Lands of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain"
Gauging from the multitude of paintings depicting Netherlandish and French culture, music and dance was an important part of life in 16th – 17th century, from the rollicking village peasants on upwards to the higher echelons of society. In truth, no part of Europe offers better documentation of popular musical and dance pastimes than Northern France and Flanders during these years, thanks to the skilled and ambitious painters, publishers, and composers of these regions. Artists’ images leave such a rich legacy of vivid musical scenes that we can almost hear the paintings come to life, be it a village celebration with festive bagpipes, or an intimate indoor scene including the gentle lute.
Sondra Bromka and John Bromka, musicians and musicologists who perform as the duo “Bells & Motley Consort of Olden Music,” have made the study of early instruments and dances their life’s work. Extensive and ongoing research trips to Europe brought them face to face with the historic art, archives, surviving musical instruments, and the many other resources that have allowed them to build authentic reproduction instruments in their home atelier.
In honor of the Dutch-in-America Quadricentennial Celebration, the Bromkas will perform a concert on their rich array of historic instruments known in the Netherlands during the time of Henry Hudson: harp, hakkebord (hammered dulcimer), sleutelharp (nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle), kromhoorn, blokfluit (recorder), römmelpot, tabor drum, shawm, lute, cittern, doedelzak (bagpipes), draailier (hurdy gurdy), and tromba marina.
Bells & Motley will also amply reward those seeking out historic French traditions, offering an abundance of songs and dance music on vielle à roue (“fiddle with a wheel,” or the French version of the hurdy gurdy). You’ll hear provincial reed intruments biniou koz and bombard (a bagpipe and double reed combination duo), veuze, another style of French bagpipe, flutet et tamborin, and many other regional surprises. John and Sondra have a penchant for the historic dances that go with this music, and are eager to teach you their favorites. And don’t be surprised if young audience members from 6th grade up already appear to know many of these lively French dances. Sondra and John have presented annually as guest teaching artists in Westchester County schools, enriching Medieval and Renaissance curriculum with period music, dance, and culture.
You will find the artists’ instruments ready for “show and tell” in the intimate and wonderful setting of Lyndhurst’s front porch. The duo will close the day’s celebration with a scene right out of a painting by artist Pieter Brueghel, with the playing of their historic Flemish bagpipes!
III. FRENCH HERITAGE PROGRAMS FROM OUR PAST...
with links to artists statement, and detailed project description pages
I. Jamais Oubliez: Never to Forget
Cultural Traditions in Old France/New France
a photo-documentary exhibit by John and Sondra Bromka,
also featuring Historic Traditonal French Music and Dance Programs and Workshops by the artists.
II. French Cultural History in NYS, Pennsylvania, Canada, and Europe
Find programs mid-way down that page, including:
- "Canadian-American Day" at Sackets Harbor"
- Programs for French Azilum, Towanda PA
- French Foodways, Dances, and Music Residencies for schools...
III. Sculpted Sound: From Art to Wood to Music
another art history photo-documentary exhibit by the artists, this one detailing their extensive research in France and Flanders, towards the building of medieval instruments for their musical and theatrical performances; includes exploratory early music concert featuring these instruments
IV. FRENCH MUSIC, DANCE, and CULTURE PROGRAMS FLYER