Ensemble for all instruments - Robin Hielke - Stichting Draailier & Doedelzak

About Medieval Song

Robin is captivated by early and medieval music. And she likes to share this passion with others.

This ensemble workshop will be about the interplay between singing and instruments; characteristics of medieval music. A lot of medieval music is sung (or played) on bourdons.

Robin: “In this workshop we will look at accompanying a medieval song. The High Middle Ages really capture the imagination with its knights and courtly love. Minnesänger travelled the country to sing avbout love, crusades and wrongdoings of the church.

We will work with a minnelied (love song) from the Carmina Burana, a songbook from the 13th century. We will also have a look at early polyphony: bourdon and parallel fifth. I think that starting with this will provide some guidelines to start experimenting yourself.

I would prefer to also sing with all workshop participants, as we are working on a song and singing will help developing a better feel for vocal music. This workshop is therefore for singing instrumentalists, pure instrumentalists, as well as those who love to sing but don’t play an instrument yet.”

Level of playing

All instruments are welcome, as well as singing participants who don’t play an instrument. Participants with an instrument have an advanced playing level. Learning a new melody by ear goes effortlessly. They know their instruments and are not afraid of playing (together) in front of an audience. Participants have attended multiple workshops or courses.

Registration form

About Robin Hielke

Folk music and (very) Early Music are Robin Hielke’s (1994) great passions. Music of the people, often passed on by word of mouth, is like a stone smoothened by the ocean. The melodies in folk music have been shaped naturally through the centuries and the texts say a lot about the most mundane things. Folk requires no complexity, it’s for everybody and connects one with the earthly.

Robin loves sharing her passion; both on stage with Dutch folk band Voddemoêr and previously with Medieval band Imbue, as well as through teaching. She studied classical singing under Karin van der Poel at the Utrecht Conservatory and graduated in 2020. As a soloist, Robin has sung at the Grote Kerk in Dordrecht (Bach), the Hertz hall in Tivoli Vredenburg (H. Wolf) and the Great Hall in Tivoli Vredenburg (Mozart). Additionally, Robin is very charmed by the dreamy French Impressionist Song.

Since 2018, she has been delving deeper into singing Medieval music, with special attention to the music of Hildegard von Bingen. She does this through courses, private lessons and masterclasses by Maria Jonas (Ars Choralis Coeln), Dr. Rebecca Stewart and Patrizia Bovi (Ensemble Micrologus), among others.

Listen to Robin on YouTube: