The Guild for Early Music was founded in 2004 as a consortium of early music ensembles and musicians. The mission of the Guild is to promote music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Early American eras by fostering in the community knowledge and appreciation of music of these historical periods and facilitating cooperation and providing resources for professional and amateur performing ensembles and musicians. The Guild for Early Music became a 501(c)(3) corporation in July 2009.

Guild members comprise professional musicians, semi-professionals, amateurs, and early-music community members in the Central New Jersey and Eastern Central Pennsylvania areas, including Mercer County NJ and Bucks County PA. We welcome enthusiasts and visitors from all over. View our Members page. 


 
Members and organizations performing music of the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Early American eras before 1800 within the New Jersey or Pennsylvania Delaware Valley area can submit their event for consideration for posting on the Guild's Event calender.  Use the menu at the top right-hand corner to to access the Contact Us page.  Guidelines for submitting and event are posted there, and you can link to our Contact Us form from that page or just click here. 


Events include concerts, lectures, demonstrations, and classes. Click on the calendar on the right wherever a date is highlighted.

Special Notice: The Guild for Early Music at Princeton's Communiversity, Sunday April 28  1 - 6 PM
Visit our booth, try some exotic instruments,  pick up announcements of events by our member ensembles, listen to some early music: live and recorded.  For more information, visit visitprinceton.org/activities/events/communiverisity.




* Congrats to Delaware River Consort vocal quartet for 30 years of continuous performance !!

* La Fiocco celebrates its first year as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.




 

The 8th Annual Guild Festival: at the Grounds for Sculpture was held on
Sunday, October 14th. 

Guild member ensembles performed on two indoor stages:  The Main Events Space and the East Gallery, which currently features Ming Fay's "Canutopia."   Over a dozen ensembles presented mini-concerts, which concluded with the early instrument "petting zoo" for all ages. Sculpture tours were offered on this year's theme, "Loves Me, Loves Me Not":    WWFM hosts will MC, as usual.   Once again, the media sponsor was The Classical Network, WWFM.  visit at  www.wwfm.org
 

Demos and Mini-Concerts

1.  Mini-concerts in the the Main Events Space:

 

Time	Ensemble or Event	Description
12:00 noon - 12:05 PM	Welcome
12:05 PM - 12:25 PM	Harpsichord demonstration	Given by Lewis R. Baratz, Ph.D.
12:30 PM - 12:55 PM	Stretto	Youth string orchestra
1:00 PM - 1:25 PM	Renaissance winds	Demonstration by Orum Stringer
1:30 PM - 1:55 PM	Spectra Musica	17th-century instrumental music by Frescobaldi, Th. Simpson, and Schop, with two cornettos, kortholt, dulcian, recorders, and harpsichord.
2:00 PM - 2:25 PM	Zorzal Music Ensemble	Latin American and Spanish ethnic villancicos performed by Lynn Gumert (soprano, recorders), Carlos Fernandez (tenor, guitar, percussion), Kate Chen (soprano), Doug Helvering (bass, percussion), Megan Helvering (alto), Momo Kusaka (recorders), Minju Lee (harpsichord), and Janet Walker (cello).
2:30 PM - 2:55 PM	Musica Dolce	Musica Dolce will perform Handel's Sonata in F Major and Telemann's Sonatine in D Major. Performers are Lea Karpman (violin), Janet Walker (cello), and Dean Poulsen (harpsichord).
3:00 PM - 3:25 PM	Princeton Recorder Society	Members will perform a selection of short pieces from the Renaissance and Baroque periods on all sizes of recorders.
3:30 PM - 3:55 PM	Vox Fidelis	This professional early music vocal ensemble will present a program entitled: Gratia plena ~ Love of the Divine: Sacred polyphony by masters of the high Renaissance.  Featuring works by Victoria, Tallis, and Palestrina Timothy Smith, director.
4:00 PM - 4:25 PM	The Practitioners of Musick	"Nothing More Agreeable: The Music the Washington's Knew" presented by the Practitioners of Musick. Works by Shield, Handel, Arne, Hopkinson and other esteem'd masters.
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM	Princeton Pro Musica	The Chamber Chorus of the Princeton Pro Musica will present a program of 16th century choral music about love, including favorites by English composers John Wilbye and Thomas Morley.
2.  In the East Gallery
1:30 PM - 1:55  PM	Sharim v'Sharot	Blessings, Joy, Love: Spanish and Italian Jewish Music of the Middle Ages through Renaissance for voices and instruments.
2:00 PM - 2:25 PM	Englechor Consort	The Engelchor Consort will present a program of 13th-century song and dance with guest artist tenor Tim Smith.
2:30 PM - 2:55 PM	Mostly Motets	A cappella vocal ensemble specializing in early music will perform music about love drawn from Renaissance composers of England, France, Italy and Spain.
3:00 PM - 3:25 PM	Le Triomphe de l'amour	John Burkhalter, recorders, and Janet Palumbo, harpsichordist, will present "Italians in London," featuring music published in London by Italian composers Mancini, Scarlatti, and Veracini.
3:30 PM - 3:55 PM	La Spirita	Italian Late Renaissance music for viols and voices. The viola da gamba quintet plays Monteverdi and other 16th and 17th century masters, and welcomes three guest singers joining soprano/gambist Lynn Fergusson.
4:00 PM - 4:25 PM	Gloria Consort	Sinfonia by Johann Joseph Fux for alto recorder, flute, and continuo, and the Concerto for Four Alto Recorders senza Basso by Georg Philipp Telemann. Orum Stringer, director.
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM	La Fiocco	John Blow's "Ode on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell."  Baroque opera stars Nicholas Tamagna & Joseph Hill (countertenors), with recorders, harpsichord, lute, and viola da gamba.  Lewis R. Baratz, director.
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM	Petting Zoo	Come try some instruments!!

    

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