HITEM offers Harpsichord Workshop – Jonathan Addleman

5:45pm-7:45pm Sat. Oct. 3, 2026
St. George’s Round Church, 2222 Brunswick St. Halifax
Free admission for youth 18 and under
Adults admission by freewill donation

All welcome to this hands-on workshop for newbies and afficionados alike! Flexible topics include:

– What is a harpsichord? Different schools of construction, time periods, and shapes of instruments (virginals, spinets, 1 or 2 manuals, pedalboards) Why ideally, we play lots of different instruments for different repertoire.

– Construction and mechanism – how does this thing work? Wooden structure, jack design, plectrum materials. Registers and couplers. Describe the instrument present at the workshop in that context, give people a chance to hear a short piece, and let them play a bit.

– Compare with other historical keyboard instruments – organ, clavichord, fortepiano. eventual end of harpsichord era.

– 20th C revival – what’s “wrong” with a lot of 20th century instruments, and how do they differ from historical models.

– Expression/interpretation/technique – how to make a harpsichord sing/speak eloquently – proper touch, expressive articulation and phrasing, creative arpeggiation, overlegato. How to approach this in different styles of harpsichord music. With a brief mention of the major treatises (Couperin, CPE Bach…), and how they describe very different ways of playing, for different styles of music.

This will be followed by a masterclass for any individuals who wish to work on specific pieces. Performers pre-enrol at info@tradandearlymusic.ca

Learn more about Jonathan here:https://cammac.ca/en/professeurs/jonathan-addleman/
He is visiting Halifax in part to restore a harpsichord generously gifted to the St. George’s Music Room by the Bullock family.

For more information and to pre-register, email Jennifer Publicover, director of the Halifax Institute for Traditional and Early Music: info@tradandearlymusic.ca

Our special thanks to St. George’s Round Church for their generous sponsorship of this event.
Door proceeds go towards the upkeep of HITEM instruments.