Many thanks to people who sent material for Tamesis. Contributions for the next issue are very welcome. If possible please could you send them as a .doc. attachment to an e-mail (in Word preferably but not essentially). I can of course also type out your hand written manuscript if necessary! If you are sending something to go in the events and concerts lists it would be really helpful if you could arrange the information in the order that it will finally appear ie day, date, place, performers, music, phone number.

It was decided not to have a Forum stand at the Early Music Exhibition but we intend to be back there in 2002. The Baroque Day bookings are coming in fast if there is anybody who can offer to bring an A440 spinet or harpsichord this will be very helpful

Victoria Helby

This has been a less active year than previously because some of the committee (myself in particular) were less energetic or had family commitments. As last year, there were good numbers at singing events but in view of the dramatic decline in attendance at Renaissance Playing Days, none were held this year. Membership is still over 300 and comprises an increasing proportion of singers.

We have had much success with the well-known conductors such as Philip Thorby, Alan Lumsden and Robert Hollingworth, but are delighted with the popularity of David Allinson who has run several excellent choral workshops for us over the last few years. He will be taking our Christmas event - the music of Heinrich Sch�tz, in which he will have to cope with TVEMF instrumentalists for the first time.

Events in the 12 months to end of September 2001:17th Century German Cantatas with Richard Smith, Music for the Commedia dell'Arte with Robert Hollingworth, Polychoral Christmas music with Philip Thorby, Renaissance choral music with David Allinson, Music of Michael Praetorius with Alan Lumsden, a Mass by Victoria in a liturgical context with Michael Procter, a Baroque day with Victoria Helby* and another held jointly with Oxford Baroque week, Word Play - recorder music with Philip Thorby, Venetian music with Bernard Thomas.

As you will no doubt be aware, Chris Thorn has resigned as Tamesis Editor after a long stint in the job. He has lost his enthusiasm and finds himself somewhat at odds with the rest of the committee, which I find very sad. Chris has done a great deal of work for TVEMF since it was started in 1988 and we are enormously grateful for that. He was our first Chairman and over the years has organised events and been our main representative at the Early Music Exhibition. His preference for music from before about 1560 has meant that he rarely attends TVEMF events other than Renaissance playing days but I hope we shall see him at a workshop before too long.

Sadly Hazel Fenton, our treasurer, cannot be with us today as she is attending her father's funeral. It has been a bad year for Hazel as far as her family’s health is concerned so I'm sure we wish her better fortune in the year to come. As always, she has been the most reliable and efficient treasurer that one could imagine.

Our secretary Victoria has been the mainstay of the forum this year, as in others, having organised many of the events and done much other work. The other committee members played their part and I would especially like to thank those who organised events (Neil Edington and Johanna Renouf), and Jeff Gill whose first TVEMF event was a great success. We them all a vote of thanks.

David Fletcher

*inadvertently omitted from the list read out at the meeting - apologies to Victoria!

The task of producing Tamesis is a huge one. There are some 300 copies to be printed, folded and stuffed into envelopes, which have to be stamped and labelled. Chris Thorn performed this task with the aid of his admirable wife Janet for about nine and a half years in all. Nobody else has managed to do the job for as much as two years, and having done it myself for a few months I know why. For the record, the editors of Tamesis have been: Chris Thorn Dec 1988? - June 1994

David Fletcher Jul 1994 - Nov 1994 Wayne Plummer Dec 1994 - Oct 1996

Gordon Grant Nov 1996 - Sep 1997 Chris Thorn Oct 1997 - Sep 2001

Wayne modestly described himself as "Acting Tamesis Editor" until June 1995 when I pointed out that as there was no queue of alternative candidates, he should consider his appointment official. I'm glad to say that he is in now in better health than last year, though not planning to play the cornett again, and enjoying spending time with his family. Gordon Grant clearly had no idea what he had let himself in for, and I feel some guilt at letting him walk into the trap. However he performed very well for a year until Chris was persuaded to take the job back.

We are very fortunate that Victoria Helby has agreed to take over the editorship on a temporary basis. For many years she kept the diary of events, which is a very significant part of Tamesis, so she has plenty of experience. It would be good to receive rather more contributions from members.

David Fletcher

Recent research by David Arrowsmith has revealed that there was in fact a seventh intermedio at the 1589 wedding. Imagine the scene (after nearly five hours of music and drama): Venus, surrounded by her entourage of beautiful, scantily-clad nymphs, is being serenaded by the finest musicians in the land. Giovanni Bassano and Fillipe Thorbi have just finished a series of increasingly competitive divisions* and Alessandro Striggio has embarked on an elaborate viola bastarda improvisation, when a stage-hand, paying more attention to the nymphs than his duties, lets go of the wrong rope. A startled Cupid plummets down straight on to the bass viol, totally destroying it. At this point the exhausted musicians decide to call it a day and go for a beer.

Of course all mention of this unfortunate episode was excised from the official records, but the popular news sheet "Il Sol" did feature the nymphs on page III of the next issue. One thing is quite clear from the reports that did survive - the organisers would never have dreamed of performing any of the Intermedii with amateurs.

* The result was generally adjudged to have been a draw. Thorbi came in for some criticism for his use of a somewhat archaic style rather reminiscent of Ganassi, but was technically flawless. Bassano's avant-garde divisions were much liked, and in spite of a major blunder (playing a B flat rather than B natural at an intermediate cadence), he managed to equalise with a couple of extravagant late trills.

David Fletcher (thanking Philip Thorby at the end of the Intermedii weekend)

As you may know, the RAM has been quietly expanding into the property next door for quite some time, and one of the things they are setting up there is a little museum to display some of the choicer and more interesting items (e.g. the Handel Gloria MS) in their collections. This is due to open on Sunday October 21st, with an afternoon of interesting music and talks by eminent persons - and of course interesting things to see - from 1 p.m. to 5 (I think). I can't go myself, as I will be away that weekend, but it should be rather super (I don't think one has to stay the whole time if one doesn't want to). If you are interested, phone the RAM box office, 020-7873-7300, for details and (free) tickets.

There's also a concert which I am sorry to miss, the night before at St John's, Waterloo Road (on the opposite side from the station, fairly near the roundabout at the end of the bridge) - New Renaissance Voices, conductor Bruce Saunders are doing a programme called Wine, women and song, including pieces by Dufay, Ockeghem, Brumel, Parsons, Palestrina, Sch�tz and Aichinger. I have been to nearly all their concerts over the past several years, and always enjoy them. NRV are drawn from a pool of singers, and Bruce has got a new group of just 12 this time, nearly all choral scholars, so it should be wonderful. It starts at 7.30 and programmes are �7. Ruth Harris

If you like dance and early music and live near High Wycombe, note that the Mark Morris Dance Company are performing (i.e. dancing to) Monteverdi madrigals at the Swan Theatre in High Wycombe on the 16-17 November. I have gone to Edinburgh several times to catch Mark Morris (and even once to High Wycombe!) and never been disappointed. Brian O’Hagan

For the 2001/2002 season we have more events, and more diversity, in our combined Renaissance Singers and Saeculum programme than ever before: open rehearsals, talks, tours, a wine-tasting and, of course, our regular schedule of London concerts.

Throughout the season, we are opening up some of our rehearsal sessions to those of you who like to sing but are unable to make a commitment to a regular choir. Sessions begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and are held at St Pancras Church Hall, Lancing Street (beside Euston Station) and finish at approximately 9.15. The price is �5 per session (free to members of the Friends of The Renaissance Singers). We are currently booking for four open rehearsal sessions in November.

• November 6^th: Alistair Dixon will be working on a sumptuous 6-voice mass by Morales, Misa Si bona suscepimus
• November 13^th: Ghislaine Morgan will be working on aspects of choral technique in her inimitably enthusiastic style
• November 20^th: Andrew Hope, director of Victoria Voices and Viols, will be looking at music for choir and continuo by Victoria.
• November 27^th: Edward Wickham will be previewing music for Christmas.

The Singers first London event of the season will be a concert of English Tudor music at St Paul’s, Covent Garden on Saturday, October 20^th: Earth, Wynd and Hell-Fire: The Music of John Taverner and Robert Fayrfax.

On Tuesday, October 30^th, we host an un-missable evening of fine wine and music at St Bride’s Institute, Salisbury Square (off Fleet Street, London). This year’s wine-tasting will focus on eight wines of Bordeaux, an area of particular expertise for our tutor, Michael Oppenheimer, who, in addition to his work as a circuit judge, and singing with the Renaissance Singers, is on the wine committee of the Athenaeum club. The tasting will include a wide variety of clarets, many of which are unavailable to the general public. No previous experience of wine-tasting is necessary. Music for voice and lute will be performed by Lucy Ballard, and will include a selection of early Renaissance drinking songs. Ticket price: �37.50.

TVEMF members Dawn Johnston (lute / theorbo) and Julia Raeburn (soprano) ,known professionally as "The Muses' Gardin" will be giving 2 concerts of renaissance music in November. The first concert is at Ham House in Richmond on Sunday 18th November at 2.15pm The programme of songs and instrumental pieces from the C17th will depict the life and times of people and ghosts associated with the reputedly haunted Ham House. Composers include Robert Jones, Dowland, John Eccles, Alfonso Ferrabosco II, Handel and Purcell. The 2nd concert is on Wednesday 21st November at 12.45pm at the University of Leicester, Fraser Noble Hall, London Rd, Leicester . The programme is entitled "Let There Be Light!" Composers include Verdelot , Campion Dowland Pelham Humfrey and Purcell. As well as singing Julia will also be playing the recorder and Dawn will be performing solos on both the lute and theorbo . The Theorbo reputedly first made its appearance (rather dramatically) in England in 1605 when it was brought into the country by Inigo Jones and it is said "At Dover it was thought to be some engine brought from Popish countries to destroy the King and he had it sent up to the Council Table."

"The Muses' Gardin" was formed in 1999 and the name was taken from the title of Robert Jones' 5th book of Ayres published in 1610 . They specialise in themed programmes of Renaissance and Baroque repertoire for voice with Lute and Theorbo eg "Shakespeare and Love!", "1599 and all that!" and "Let there be Light!" "The Muses' Gardin" is becoming increasingly in demand ,giving public recitals and performing at private functions.