The Collegium Musicum is dedicated to the performance of early music (the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods of European music history) using historically appropriate techniques and instruments. It provides a hands-on way of learning about European music history, exploring the beautiful but less often heard music of earlier periods while developing aural skills such as sight-reading.
The ensemble includes both singers and instrumentalists, divided into several groups according to repertoire and experience level. Each group meets for approximately one hour per week. Instrumentalists perform on the College’s outstanding collection of replica period instruments. Since many of these are ancestors of modern instruments, students can often transfer their knowledge of modern techniques fairly easily. Both group and individual instruction is provided, as well as masterclasses with visiting artists.
Highlights
Each year, the Collegium presents three concerts. In addition to the regular fall and spring concerts, we reenact a Renaissance Compline Service by candlelight at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on the last Sunday of the fall term. Approximately once a year we present scenes from a musical drama, staged with costumes and often with historical dance.
- Spring 2017 Henry Purcell, Dido & Aeneas, final scene
- Spring 2011 Francesco Cavalli, Scipione Affricano, Act I opening
- Fall 2009 Francesco Cavalli, Giasone, Act I finale
- Fall 2007 Shakespeare/Matthew Locke et al, The Tempest
- Fall 2006 Adam de la Halle, Le Jeu de Robin et de Marion
- Fall 2005 Francesco Cavalli, La Calisto, Act II finale
Workshops, Masterclasses, and Visiting Artists
An internationally renowned Early Music artist or ensemble visits Grinnell about once a year, and provides workshops, masterclasses, and private lessons especially geared towards Collegium students (though open to others as well). In addition, we can occasionally arrange online lessons with experts. Past visiting artists have included:
- Fall 2022 Lyra Baroque Orchestra, masterclasses with Ginna Watson (violin) and Sara Thompson (bass)
- Spring 2019 1) Lyra Baroque Orchestra, masterclasses with Ginna Watson (violin) and Jacques Ogg (harpsichord)
- 2) Jory Vinikour, harpsichord; Craig Trompeter, baroque cello/viola da gamba; Suzanne Lommler, mezzo-soprano
- Spring 2018 Niccolo Seligmann, medieval vielle and Renaissance viola da gamba
- Fall 2017 Immanuel Davis, baroque flute
- Spring 2017 Lyra Baroque Orchestra
- Fall 2016 Rook
- Spring 2015 Lyra Baroque Orchestra
- Spring 2013 Ensemble Chaconne with Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company
- Spring 2013 Anonymous 4
- Spring 2011 Aula Harmoniae Baroque Trio
- Fall 2009 Arthur Haas, harpsichord and Martha McGaughey, viola da gamba
- Fall 2010 Baroque Band of Chicago
- Fall 2008 Baroque Band of Chicago
- Spring 2008 Rose Ensemble
- Fall 2007 Trevor Stephenson, fortepiano
- Spring 2007 Quartet New Generation, recorders
- Fall 2005 Jory Vinikour, harpsichord
Auditions and rehearsals
The Collegium Musicum is comprised of several groups, divided according to repertoire and experience level. Typical groups include the Vocal Ensemble, Recorder Consort, Viol Consort, Baroque String Ensemble, and Medieval Ensemble; there are also opportunities for solo vocal and/or instrumental performance. Keyboard players begin with private lessons, then join a group as accompanists. Each group meets for approximately one hour a week, arranged according to students’ schedules; the vocal ensemble meets for 90 minutes a week. Rehearsals are held in the spacious Egan Early Music Room in Bucksbaum Center for the Arts (Room 102).
The only requirement for admission to the Collegium is the ability to read music. Auditions are held at the beginning of each semester; dates are announced on posters throughout Bucksbaum. The purpose of the audition is to find an appropriate instrument and ensemble for you. Please prepare a short piece to sing or play (on your modern instrument); please bring your instrument and sheet music, if available.
Early Instrument Collection
Instrumentalists in the Collegium perform on Grinnell’s collection of replica period instruments. Since many of these are ancestors of modern instruments, students can often transfer their knowledge of modern techniques to early instruments fairly easily. Both group and individual instruction is provided. There are over 100 instruments in the collection, representing all categories of instruments and ranging in date from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century.
The full collection, with makers’ names, is listed below; those marked * are owned by faculty but available for student use. To find out more about each one, look them up on the Grinnell Musical Instrument Website.
Bowed Strings
- Rebec (L. Higgins)
- Vielle (Bernard E. Lehmann)
- Hurdy gurdy (Kelischek)
- 2 treble viols (John Pringle; Karl Roy)
- Tenor viol (Karl Roy)
- Bass viol (Hermann Bächle); bow
- *Bass viol (Charlie Ogle, after Barak Norman, late 17th c); bow (Charlie Ogle)
- Violone in G (Dominik Zuchowicz, after Ernst Busch, early 17th c); bow (Bernard P. Halke)
- Baroque violin (Dominik Zuchowicz, after Nicolò Amati, mid 17th c); bow (H. F. Grabenstein)
- Baroque violin (Dominik Zuchowicz, after Jacob Stainer, mid-late 17th c); bow (H. F. Grabenstein)
- Baroque violin (Katie Krainc ’17, after Brothers Amati, mid 17th c [2016 MAP project])
- Baroque viola (Dominik Zuchowicz, after Gasparo da Salò, late 16th c); bow (H. F. Grabenstein)
- Baroque viola (Dominik Zuchowicz, after Antonio Stradivari, early 18th c); bow (H. F. Grabenstein)
- Baroque cello (19th century German, retrofitted as baroque cello); bow (Ralph Ashmead)
Plucked Strings
- Gothic harp (Lynne Lewandowski, after Hans Memling paintings, 15th c)
- Psaltery (Lynne Lewandowski, medieval)
- Medieval 5-course lute (Daniel Larson, after Henri Arnault, mid-15th c)
- 2 Renaissance 8-course lutes (Lawrence K. Brown, after Giovanni Heiber, ca. 1580)
- Renaissance 8-course lute (Edward Kottick, after Hans Frei, early 16th c)
- Baroque lute
- Modern 8-course lute, guitar tuning (Juan Estruch)
- Theorbo, 6 courses/8 bass strings (Michael Schreiner, after Venere, early 17th c)
- Renaissance 4-course guitar
- Baroque 5-course guitar (Michael Schreiner, 17th c)
Woodwinds
- Set of 11 Renaissance-style recorders (Mollenhauer, after Hieronymous Kynseker, mid 17th c): sopranino, 2 sopranos, 2 altos in F, alto in G, 2 tenors, 2 basses, great bass
- *Renaissance soprano recorder (Moeck)
- Set of 6 Baroque recorders (Moeck, after Jean-Hyacinth-Joseph Rottenburgh, early 18th c): *sopranino, soprano, *alto, tenor, 2 basses
- Alto baroque recorder, A = 415 (Moeck, after Jacob Denner, early 18th c)
- Alto baroque recorder (Joachim Paetzold)
- 23 practice recorders (sopranino, 8 sopranos, 5 altos, 8 tenors, bass)
- 3 tenor Renaissance flutes (Tom Boehm/ Jeffrey Cohan)
- Tenor Renaissance flute (“SG”)
- Soprano and 3 tenor Renaissance flutes (Wyley)
- Alto Renaissance flute (Aardvark)
- 2 fifes (Cooperman, 18th c)
- 2 Baroque flutes, A = 415/440 (Rudolf Tutz, after G. A. Rottenburgh, ca. 1760)
- Baroque flute, A = 392/415 (Folkers & Powell, after Jacob Denner, ca. 1720)
- Baroque flute, A = 415/440 (R. Sanders)
- Baroque flute, A = 440 (maker unknown)
Reeds
- Set of 3 crumhorns (Wood): alto, tenor, bass
- Tenor crumhorn (Moeck)
- Shawm (Gunter Korber, after 14th c models)
- Sordun (Renaissance Workshop, after Praetorius, 1619)
- Dulcian (Antique Sound Workshop)
- Baroque oboe (Bosworth & Hammer, after Thomas Stanesby Sr., c. 1700)
Brass
- cornettino (Christopher Monk, after 17th c model)
- cornetto (Christopher Monk, after 17th c model)
- 2 cornettos (Ricardo Simian)
- Alto sackbut (Böhm & Meinl Symphonic)
- Tenor sackbut (Ewald Meinl)
- tenor sackbut (Frank Tomes)
- Bass Sackbut (Michael Rath, after Ehe, early 17th c)
- 2 Baroque trumpets (Meinl & Lauber, Tarr model)
- 2 Baroque horns (Richard Seraphinoff, after J.W. Hass, early 18th c)
- 2 Classical horns (Richard Seraphinoff, after Antoine Halari, ca. 1810)
- Viennese horn (Hermann Ganter, after Leopold Uhlmann, ca. 1820)
Keyboards
- Continuo organ (John Bennett-Glenn Giuttari, after Nikolaus Manderscheit, 17th c)
- Double-manual harpsichord (William Dowd, after Blanchet/Taskin, mid/late 18th c)
- Single-manual harpsichord (Edward Kottick, after Flemish models, 17th c)
- *Single-manual harpsichord (D. Jacques Way, after Italian models, 17th c)
- Single-manual harpsichord (Rutkowski & Robinette, modern hybrid)
- Fortepiano (John Broadwood & Son, 1804). Original instrument, not in playing condition.
- Fortepiano (Rod J. Regier, after Conrad Graf, ca. 1824).
Percussion
- Nakers, pair
- Tabor (Paul Williamson)
- Tenor drum (Jeremy Montagu)
- 2 pairs cliquettes