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Australian Viola da Gamba Society Newsletter — October 2025

2025 National Viol School Wrap-Up: Hobart/nipaluna Comes Alive with Viols!

The 2025 National Viol School took place over the Labour Day long weekend,  Saturday 8 in beautiful Hobart/nipaluna, and it was a total treat for viol lovers from across the country.

With around thirty passionate players from all corners of Australia (including several brilliant members of Van Diemen’s Band), the weekend was packed with music, learning, and the kind of camaraderie you only find when you put a bunch of viol players in one place.

Participants dove into a variety of special topics: the delicate dance of playing Lawes, the intriguing world of the Lyra viol, navigating unbarred parts, and the timeless beauty of In Nomines. Whether it was your first Viol School or your fifth, there was something fresh to explore.

A real highlight was the extraordinary masterclass on Monday afternoon by Paolo Pandolfo, made possible thanks to the generous support of Van Diemen’s Band. Paolo’s insight, energy, and artistry left everyone buzzing, and we’re deeply grateful to have shared such an inspiring session with one of the world’s great gambists.

Even better, the Hobart viol scene seems newly energised, as we have heard of several meetups and groups formed after the school from the locals.

Huge thanks to all who came, played, and shared. Here’s to more beautiful music in 2026!

With thanks to Rosemary Evenhuis for her detailed report below.

Reflections on the 2025 National School

The 2025 Australian Viola da Gamba Society annual school was held in Hobart from March 8th–10th. We were fortunate that Van Diemen’s Band were sponsoring Paolo Pandolfo to visit Tasmania as part of his Australian tour. Participants were able to enjoy his performances and have a workshop with him.

Twenty-five participants and five tutors gathered from around Australia in Hobart, and kicked off with drinks and a meal, while some drove to Launceston to catch Paolo’s Launceston concert. Many of the participants added on their own tours of Tasmania before or after the school.

The school was held at Mount Carmel College, overlooking the Derwent River, and we need to give a big thank you to Simon James and Dave McNamara for their generosity with this wonderful venue.

On Saturday we formed consorts and had a session with Chrissie Berryman, PhD candidate from UTAS. Her Honours thesis was based on the unmetered music of Christopher Tye, and she had edited several consorts into unbarred versions. While playing from fantasias, ricercares and preludes freed from barlines can be liberating, playing unbarred consorts presents new challenges. I personally found it increased my awareness of what other players were doing, where they started and ended phrases, and who had material similar to mine.

On Sunday, Paolo gave two performances, each featuring three of the Bach Cello Suites. This was held in the quaint Hobart Town Hall, but it was a hot afternoon, with sunlight streaming in and lights on Paolo. While some people may be sceptical of Paolo performing cello repertoire, many agreed that he had taken his own individual approach to the suites. Bach himself often rewrote pieces for different instrumental combinations. The Concerto for Three Harpsichords BWV 1064 in C major also exists as the Concerto for Three Violins in D major BWV 1064R. The first movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 also pops up in the cantata Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte, BWV 174. So I’m sure the move from cello to gamba would not have startled Bach.

A seven-string gamba lends itself to fuller chords than a four-string cello, and Paolo certainly made use of those at cadence points. He also prefaced several movements with his own improvisatory openings that led seamlessly into the first bars of Bach’s writing. Apparently, his arrangement of the Suites is available through the Early Music Shop at earlymusicshop.com — on my shopping list!

On Monday, Paolo conducted a workshop, and rather than just working with a couple of advanced players, he worked with ensemble groups, which gave many of us the experience of a lifetime! His attention to phrasing, passing subjects, using pizzicato to practise, starting bows, and even tuning the lower string down were all fertile ideas from a master player.

The school officially wrapped up on Monday, but Consortium gave a lunchbox concert the following day. These 50-minute concerts, organised by Van Diemen’s Band, have become very popular, often selling out. They bring a range of early music to Hobart, including Latitude 37 and the Barton Trio.

For me, it was wonderful to have the viol family come together in Hobart. We also had a number of locals “try out” the viol, and hopefully we can grow a consort from this. Having an international performer of Paolo’s calibre who also tutored our humble consorts made it a school to remember.

– Rosemary Evenhuis

Short Read: Jordi Savall, The Age of Discovery

An excellent feature exploring Jordi Savall’s lifelong journey with early music, cultural dialogue, and discovery. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever found inspiration in his artistry.

Regional Focus: Castlemaine Short Viol School

As part of an ongoing initiative to support viol players outside major cities, the AVdGS organised a one-day viol school in Castlemaine, Victoria on 20 July 2025, held in the welcoming hall of the Uniting Church.

Fourteen participants, with treble, tenor, and bass viols all represented, travelled from near and far, some even making round trips from Melbourne in a single day (kudos to Liz Zetzmann and Knobby Clarke!). Despite the wintry conditions and the hall’s enthusiastic but noisy heaters, spirits were warm and music-making was rich.

Three tutors led a full day of consort playing, mixing experience levels and repertoire to keep everyone both challenged and encouraged. Lunch was efficiently catered thanks to Vic Watts, keeping the focus squarely on the music.

The consensus was unanimous: the day was well worth the trip. The committee is now exploring similar one-day schools in other regions and states. Stay tuned!

– Knobby Clarke

New Publication: Decoding Marin Marais

A fascinating new book has been released for anyone interested in French Baroque performance practice: Decoding Marin Marais by Vittorio Ghielmi and Christoph Urbanetz.

At the heart of this publication is a rare manuscript of Marais’ Troisième Livre, preserved with thousands of original handwritten annotations from Marais and his circle. These markings open a window into 17th–18th century interpretation, revealing stylistic nuance, articulation, and ornamentation directly from the source.

This critical edition is a unique resource for performers, teachers, and scholars alike.

More information: The Secret of Marin Marais – Toulouse Library.

From the Consort Room: September Gathering

• Fortune that ever dwells – John Dowland

• Panis Angelicus – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

• Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

• O magnum mysterium – William Byrd

– Alasdair McAndrew

That’s All for Now!

Thank you to all contributors, organisers, and players who keep the Australian viol scene so alive and welcoming. If you have upcoming events, reviews, or reflections to share, please email us. We’d love to feature your stories in the next issue!