Interview with The Recorder Co-Op

Meditation & Fire - The Recorder Co-op with special guest Ben Hoadley.

📅 Date: November 5, 2023

🕒 Time: 3:00 PM

🏠 Venue: The Eleventh Hour, 170 Leicester St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Book now: https://events.humanitix.com/the-recorder-co-op 🌟

About the Programme:

Meditation and Fire: In this programme the explores music from the 16th and the 21st centuries featuring a five-part consort of renaissance instruments. Experience the luscious sounds of these extraordinary recorders as they resonate in the intimate acoustic of The Eleventh Hour.

The Performers:

Recorder Co-Op: Alexandra Bailliet-Joly, Hannah Coleman, Ryan Williams and Ruth Wilkinson

With guest artist: Ben Hoadley

On Halloween evening Ben Hoadley, a special guest member of the Recorder Co-op, exclaimed, "I've put its head on the dining table and the body in the kitchen," as he left rehearsals for their upcoming concert, "Meditation & Fire". Laughter erupted from the ensemble as they observed Ben and Ryan attempting to disassemble an enormous F contra renaissance recorder, which is as large as a tree. Manoeuvring it carefully around light fixtures and through doorways is quite the spectacle, with Ruth’s dining room table covered in recorders of every size.

They are rehearsing for a concert this Sunday, November 5th, at 3 PM, the Eleventh Hour Fitzroy. The Recorder Co-op, featuring ensemble members Ruth Wilkinson, Ryan Williams, Hannah Coleman, and Alexandra Bailliet-Joly, are coming together for a beautiful performance blending Renaissance music and contemporary repertoire. This year, they are thrilled to welcome the accomplished bassoonist and recorder player, Ben Hoadley, with whom they will showcase a unique set of recorders.

The ensemble will perform on a set of matched recorder consorts generously donated to the University of Melbourne by Terry Simmons, and built by Danish recorder maker Ture Bergstrøm. The use of these exquisite instruments promises an unforgettable musical experience.

Sunday's performance has long been a dream for the ensemble. As Ryan Williams expressed, "Playing European Renaissance 5-part consort music was one of the initial ideas behind starting the Recorder Co-Op. After years of refining our group sound, investing in new recorders, and curating numerous 4-part consort performances, it's incredibly gratifying to finally bring 5-part music to our audience. A heartfelt thank you to Ben Hoadley for joining us and making this concert possible. It's time to immerse ourselves in the comforting embrace of the sonorous recorder sounds."

A few years ago, the ensemble successfully crowd-funded a Bb Renaissance recorder to enhance their collection, enabling them to tune in fifths while playing. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, they are excited to unveil this exceptional addition now.

Hannah Coleman expressed her excitement, saying, "I'm thrilled to be finally presenting our five-part concert. We first conceived this idea pre-COVID, so it has been a long time in the making. I'm especially enthusiastic about combining our Bb bass with the C bass and F bass, alongside lower instruments in the top voices. This instrument combination has been a part of our imagination for a while, and it's wonderful to bring it to life. We believe it works beautifully!" Don't miss this remarkable performance that has been years in the making."

Ruth Wilkinson, (unfazed by the recorders all over the rehearsal floor and dining room table), added, "Playing with the Recorder Co-Op is a great musical pleasure for me. I am blessed to be working with wonderful talented colleagues, to have access to a very special consort of matched instruments and now being able to extend our range, and repertoire with our guest Contrabass player, Ben Hoadley. What could be more satisfying than the sound of five recorders blending harmoniously together? "

Its a busy month for the ensemble, as the weekend after, the ensemble are holding a workshop for players aged 5-21 with the Melbourne Recorder Academy, enrolments close this Sunday for those who might be interested in attending.