The origin of “chamber music” is music that was written to be played at home, in a smaller room (a chamber), where small groups would play as entertainment for guests. The performers were often amateur musicians. From around the 15th to 17th centuries, music was classified by its social function. It was either church music, theatre music, or chamber music.
Chamber ensembles around the mid-15th century varied, but often included instruments such as voice, recorder, flute, lute, different sizes of viols (early string instruments) and harpsichord. Much of the music was very simple, and often it would not specify which instruments were to be used, so amateur players could perform on whatever instruments they had available.
This term, the Chamber Music Group at Staplehurst Music Centre has grown again. It comprises a diverse mix of instruments including cello, bassoon, violin, recorder and clarinet. No lutes or harpsichords though, so it’s very different from what it would have been nearly half a millenium ago! It’s wonderful to welcome new members and we encourage anyone who enjoys playing in a group to come and give us a go. The Chamber Music Group is very flexible, and suitable for players of approximately Grade 2 upwards.
One of the joys of having several different music groups and such talented teachers at Staplehurst Music Centre is that they can combine in new ways to make music together. The most recent combination is the Chamber Music Group accompanying the new Choir for an interpretation of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The Chamber Music Group is also working on Greig’s Peer Gynt, Ravel’s Bolero, Colonel Bogey’s March, music from the Harry Potter films, and a Shostakovich Jazz Waltz.
To find out more, please get in touch below or on facebook.
Staplehurst Music Centre also offers many other opportunities for playing music in groups and for individual music lessons.
Sources: Western Michigan University: Chamber Music, Ingenium Academy: Chamber Music Past and present
