  Given a $(k+1)$-tuple $A, B_1,...,B_k$ of $(m\times n)$-matrices with $m\le
n$ we call the set of all $k$-tuples of complex numbers $\{\la_1,...,\la_k\}$
such that the linear combination $A+\la_1B_1+\la_2B_2+...+\la_kB_k$ has rank
smaller than $m$ the {\it eigenvalue locus} of the latter pencil. Motivated
primarily by applications to multi-parameter generalizations of the
Heine-Stieltjes spectral problem, see \cite{He} and \cite{Vol}, we study a
number of properties of the eigenvalue locus in the most important case
$k=n-m+1$.
