ichael Procter is recognised throughout Europe as a leading facilitator in the field of Renaissance sacred polyphony. His courses and workshops have for over 30 years introduced hundreds of singers from many countries not only to the repertoire but also to the stylistic and technical considerations which are inseparable from its responsible performance. These considerations include not only such aspects as period and national pronunciations of the Latin, but also basic essentials such as tempo and, perhaps most significantly, performing pitch. Michael Procter has played a significant role in the dissemination of editions and performances which respect the original clef codes and their associated transpositions - the area most commonly identifed as ‘chiavette’. For example, many of the best-known works of the Renaissance are written in ‘high clefs’ which require transposition down of, usually, a 4th: Byrd’s Mass for 4 voices, Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli are among the best-known examples of this very large field.
Serious work in the field of Renaissance music is nowadays possible only with a combination of practical and theoretical applications, a combination which Michael Procter exemplifies. He trained at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he was the first student to gain the LRAM Diploma as a countertenor, and finished his studies both with performing and teaching diplomas. His experience as a singing teacher has led to the development of a wide range of singing and physical exercises which both aid and enliven his many courses. But besides the vocal and physical aspects of singing, he has many years experience of what he calls ‘practical musicology’, having edited and published hundreds of works of the Renaissance period. His editions are published in his own imprint Edition Michael Procter.
The combination of theoretical work with practical experience, acquired over some 30 years, gives Michael Procter unique qualifications for his work among amateurs, students and professionals. The creation in 1998 of a professional ensemble Hofkapelle has provided an ideal opportunity for the ‘proof of the pudding’ in performances which are as near as possible to the ideal. However, a programme of courses and seminars in many parts of Europe enables amateur singers, choral conductors, church musicians and others to explore for themselves what is one of the most fascinating and beautiful of all choral repertoires.
