Our ‘Polysembles’ are our larger and/or mixed ensembles. These include choirs, orchestras, medieval band & and folk ensembles.

In the earlier days of HISS, these were the evening sessions, opportunities for larger mixed ensembles to work on repertoire jointly – one of the features of HISS. However, as timetabling has varied in recent years, these are not always scheduled every evening! The feedback every year indicates the joy  singers and players in these se=-sessions to join with and see and hear the sheer variety of instruments  that are assembled at HISS!

These are the polysembles on offer for 2024:

Folk Band with Hazel Askew & John Dipper: For all folk inclined singers and players

Big Band Praetorius with Mary Tyers, Lynda Sayce & Susanna Pell: for recorders, viols, lutes, anyone else who wants to join in. (last year we had two melodeons and a tuba in the big band!)

Carissimi’s Jephte with Graham, George, Richard Anne Marie & Catherine: For all singers (some solo opportunities), early brass & compatible instruments, baroque strings and continuo

Medieval / Renaissance  band with Rebecca Austen-Brown & Tim Bayley: For recorders, other wind, and indeed almost anyone else who would like to join in

In advance of the course we will ask you to choose which of these groups you would like to join

You can see more about this work on other pages. Here, the crucial information is that this work is scored for four SATB choirs. Unlike the Venetian music of the period the ranges of these voices is quite suitable for modern day singers in choirs. The vocal lines are doubled by instruments and supported by continuo. We encourage, and hope, and expect, almost everyone on the “early” side of the course will want to take part in this. We will have a brief preliminary look at the music on the Wednesay, with a full day on the Thursdsay. Anyone who has experienced a workshop led by Robert Hollingworth will know that it will be an exciting, revelatory and fun occasion. He will be supported by tutors, including Richard Thomas (cornett), Rebecca Austen-Brown (recorders) who played on the recent recording made with I Fagiolini. We expect all who have indicated their main activity on HISS will be as a singer will sing, plus as many of those who also sing, so that we can attempt to achieve a reasonable balance between voices and instruments. We will ask you, along with your choices for Progressives and Polysembles, what you would like to do for this project. (If you feel this is not for you, we will provide suitable sessions as an alternative.)

In advance of the course we will ask you to choose which voice you will sing, or which instrument would like to join in with (or alternatively if you don’t wish to take part)