Collegium Musicum to Offer "Music of the Lowlanders: Flemish Polyphony of the Sixteenth Century," on Saturday, December 4, 8 p.m. in Fairchild Chapel Story by Claire Chase Photo by John Seyfried
			The Oberlin College Collegium Musicum, under the direction of Steven Plank, will present a concert on Saturday, December 4, 8 p.m. in Fairchild Chapel. Entitled "Music of the Lowlanders: Flemish Polyphony of the Sixteenth Century," the program will offer motets by Adrian Willaert and Josquin Desprez, as well as the Missa dominicalis by Giaches de Wert. The concert is free and open to the public. The program will receive a repeat performance at Cleveland Museum of Art on Wednesday, December 8, 7:30 p.m., in the Interior Garden Court. Professor of Musicology Steven Plank, who has directed Collegium Musicum since 1989, describes the historical framework for this program: "For much of the Renaissance, the Franco-Flemish musical style was the compositional mainstream, with northern musicians widely employed at courts and chapels in many parts of Europe. Willaert, for instance, had a long association with the Basilica of St. Mark's in Venice; Wert served the Gonzagan court in Mantua; Josquin was active in Rome and Milan; all three were associated at one time or another with the court of Ferrara. Their music develops a richly contrapuntal style in which each voice part imitates the others, resulting in sumptuous sonorities." "This should be a wonderful concert," predicts three-year Collegium member Brooke Randolph, a double-degree Junior from Upland, California. "Polyphony of the Renaissance requires a good ear and the ability to listen to those around you in order to achieve a well-pitched sonority. Singing in this group has been one of the best musical experiences of my time at Oberlin." The Oberlin Collegium Musicum is an ensemble that specializes in the performance of Medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque music. Initiated in the early 1960s by Dean Nurnberger, the group celebrates its 10th year under the direction of Steven Plank. The group has performed mass and motet settings by Byrd, Tallis, Fayrfax, Monteverdi, Victoria, Lasso, Schuetz and Palestrina. The 40-voice ensemble traditionally presents two concerts a year in Oberlin, and has appeared on several recent occasions at the Cleveland Art Museum. Collegium Musicum will be showcased at the Cleveland Art Museum on December 8, in conjunction with the Dutch Still Life Painting exhibit. "We've been working on this concert all term--we only do one concert a semester, though sometimes we offer a repeat performance, as in the case of the upcoming Cleveland Art Museum concert, where we'll sing in the Inner Garden Court, a wonderfully resonant space that also features Italian Renaissance sculpture." About the Director Steven Plank has been a member of the musicology department at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music since 1980, where he teaches courses in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music and conducts the vocal ensemble of the Collegium Musicum. His scholarly interests range from liturgics and Restoration theatre music to 17th sacred music drama and have led to numerous articles in both American and English journals. He is also the author of the book "The Way to Heavens Doore: An Introduction to Liturgical Process and Musical Style" (Scarecrow Press, 1994). His performance interests are also wide-ranging. A trumpeter in the Louisville Orchestra for seven years prior to beginning doctoral studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Plank came to Early Music largely through a growing interest in historical winds. His teachers in historical performance include Trevor Pinnock, James Tyler, Edward Tarr and Bruce Dickey. In addition to his work as a choral conductor, he remains active as a performer on organ, cornetto, and baroque trumpet.
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