EARLY MUSIC DAYS:

Splatterfest!

30/31 May 2026

2026 Event

Early Music Workshops, Presentations and more!

Playing sessions, workshops/presentations, baroque dance, and a relaxed open stage opportunity (See below for Schedule).

Open to all ages and abilities, amateur/professional/students on modern and period instruments. Everything tickets, or modular tickets.

School children must be supervised (please add a free observer ticket).

Music will be available to download in early May.

WHERE: Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, ACT

WHEN: 30/31 May 2026

Tickets: HERE

Programme and Information

Exploring music by Fischer, Legrenzi, Albinoni, Valentini, Corelli, Geminiani, Dauvergne, Vivaldi, Barsanti, Lully, Telemann, and Durante... and Caldara, Wassenaar, Brentner, Vivaldi, Fischer, and Handel!

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SCHEDULE

30th May

Registration/Welcome (830-900)
Playing Session A (900-1130)
- Single Large Ensemble with John Ma (@415/440Hz)
Workshop Session A (1200-1300)
- Keyboards: Introduction to Continuo with Marie Searles (playing)
- Strings: Baroque String techniques and QA with John Ma (playing)
- Winds: Wind/Recorder (Form, Texture, and Style) with Robyn Mellor (playing)
Lunch (1300-1400)
Playing Session B (Split groups, 1400-1630)
- Wind group @440Hz with Robyn Mellor
- Everyone else @415Hz (or 440Hz transposed parts) with John Ma
Workshops Session B (1700-1800)
- Keyboards: Continuo in a Violin sonata with Marie Searles and John Ma. (playing)
- Strings: Madder and the Baroque Violin with Hugh Withycombe and Michal Prokop. (non-playing)
- Winds: Musettes and Racketts with Simon Rickard (non-playing)
Evening Open Mic (John and Marie on continuo duty!)
- Optional (and free) relaxed session of just playing stuff with us (or without us!).

31st May

Baroque Dance workshop (info below) with Simon Rickard (1100-1300)
Playing Session C (1400-1600)
- Wind group @440Hz with Robyn Mellor
- Everyone else @415Hz (or 440Hz transposed parts) with John Ma
Open Presentation/Last Bash (1630-1730)
- The final chaos with John Ma.

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An introduction to baroque dance

Baroque dance was as important an art form in eighteenth century Europe as music was. Its rhythms permeate almost every bar of baroque music, from the grandest mass to the humblest popular song. Composers from Lully to Bach understood the art of baroque dance intimately. Yet how many of us have ever seen a gavotte, menuet or gigue performed today, let alone danced one ourselves?

In this lecture-workshop, Simon will give an introduction to baroque dance, teach you a few basic steps, and examine how it can make you better musicians.