I guess we were pretty good sight readers, Stuart. I had studed percussion since Jr. High and was playing drums professionally at the time. The other 'lutenists' were very good players - conservatory trained - on their respective modern instruments. So we all did well with the rhythmic complexities. Also, required at the workshop were daily classes in doing exercises from Hindemith's Elementary Training for Musicians. By the time you get into the third or fourth chapter of that, you're having fun with rhythms! As a drummer, it was actually the rhythmic 'interest' characteristic of much early music that initially attracted me. Another memorable evening was spent listening to recorder players trying to read through "Christe Crosse" from T. Morley's "A Plain and Easy Introduction to Music" (if I remember the title correctly). One would have to look to contemporary - or at least modern - musical works to find similar rhythmic complexity, I think.
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