music-msg - 7/3/00

Period music.

NOTE: See also the files: p-songs-msg, song-sources-msg, songs-msg, music-bib, instruments-msg, recorders-msg, harps-msg, singing-msg, bardic-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: sbloch at euler.ucsd.edu (Steve Bloch)
Date: 21 Nov 91 18:33:49 GMT

kate at micor.ocunix.on.ca (Kate Sanderson (Kasia Blackfox)) writes:
>   I have recently been trying to find some songs to sing at
>events, and have been having a difficult time of it.  Other than
>a rather sketchy idea of "well, it doesn't sound out of place",
>I really don't know where to start.  The trouble is, that most
>collections of period songs (and I don't care what period, I just
>want to be able to sing at events), don't include the TUNES.

I guess the first question is "for what purpose do you want to sing?"
If you want to entertain people with lyrics, not just your lovely
voice, you probably want songs in English, and a dialect of English
comprehensible to modern ears at that.  So the best place to look is
the English madrigalists of the 16th and 17th centuries: Morley,
Dowland, Byrd, Campion, Weelkes, Wilbye.  This stuff is in a modern
enough musical idiom that it won't weird people out.  Much of it is in
four-part arrangement, but there are plenty of solo songs, or "ayres",
intended for the singer to accompany herself on the lute, and some of
the four-part pieces have melody lines that could stand on their own.
These are famous composers, and their works should be available in any
college library's music section.
If you're willing to step outside the English language, lots of French,
German, and Italian songs from the same period become available.
Composers like di Lasso, Hassler, Schuetz, Gastoldi, Willaert, and
Janequin are some of the names to look for.  And of course Josquin de
Pres.
Finally, if you want to be a little more tonally experimental, you can
move back a century or three.  This stuff tends to sound strange to
modern ears, but if you do it well it's a lot of fun.  Two friends and
I have recently been working on the Carmina Burana (with original,
13th-14th-century tunes rather than Orff's 19th-century ones) and some
troubadour/trouvere music from the same time period.  This takes a
little more library-work to track down, and sometimes it's in old
notation.  But Persis Ensor, from whom I took medieval-music classes 
two years ago, puts out a book of "Monophonic Songs of the 12th and
13th Centuries", with tunes in modern notation and (partial) lyrics in
Middle English, Latin, Spanish, French, and German; write me for her
address.

To answer (in brief) the question of where to find this stuff, I
strongly advise becoming familiar with the music collection of a good
nearby library, preferably a college library.
-- 
Stephen Bloch
Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib
>sca>Caid>Calafia>St.Artemas
sbloch at math.ucsd.edu

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: mchance at nyx.cs.du.edu (Michael Chance)
Subject: Lute Society of America
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix  at  U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 93 19:55:47 GMT

The following was orignally posted on the Usenet newsgroup
rec.music.early.

====================================================================
If you are strongly interested in the lute and do not belong to the
LSA [Lute Society of America], I strongly urge you to join.  I have
found it to be an invaluable source of information over the years, and
I have also made many good friends by being involved with it.

Basic information:  We have approximately 500 individual members and
130 libraries which subscribe to our periodicals, the annual Journal
and the quarterly (what else?) Quarterly.  We also maintain a Microfilm
Library, with many sources that are unavailable in facsimile or modern
edition, which members can borrow from.   We publish a directory of
members annually in which you can advertise yourskills and interests,
look up lute builders, or other players who live near you, etc.  We 
normally hold a 6-day annual Summer Seminar with about 8-10 faculty, 
including such internationally renowned performers as Paul O'Dette, 
Nigel North, Jakob Lindberg, Stephen Stubbs, Bob Barto, to mention a few.  
This year it will be held June 27-July 2, in Rochester, New York.

This year we are publishing the first LSA Special Publication, an
anthology of easy pieces entitled "The First Book of French Tablature"
(edited by Karen Meyers and typeset by Wayne Cripps.)  If this is a 
success, we will hope to make this a regular series offering both editions
 of hard-to-find music and pedagogical material.

If you are interested in joining the LSA, you can do so by sending a
check to Beedle Hinely, PO Box 1328, Lexington VA 24450
(703-463-5812).  We also accept Visa and MasterCard.  Dues are $33/year 
($63/2 years, $93/3 years.)  Students pay $28/year.  

You can also contact the president, Caroline Usher, by e-mail at
cpu at suna.biochem.duke.edu.

	Wayne
-- 
	Wayne Cripps
	wbc at sunapee.DARTMOUTH.EDU
	Bradley Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover N.H. 03755 (603) 646-3198
--
Michael A. Chance          St. Louis, Missouri, USA    "At play in the fields
Work: mc3078 at sw1sta.sbc.com                             of St. Vidicon"
Play: ab899 at freenet.hsc.colorado.edu
      mchance at nyx.cs.du.edu

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: moore at mari.acc.stolaf.edu (Michael Moore/Peregrine the Illuminator)
Subject: Re: British Books in Print
Organization: Baronial Colleges of Nordleigh, SCA
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 1994 17:23:14 GMT

kate at Micor.OCUnix.on.ca (Kate Sanderson) writes:
>If anyone has a copy of British books in print, and could look up the 
>ISBN number for the Oxford Book of Carols, pub. Oxford university press, 
>I'd be very grateful.
>
>Kasia Blackfox

Speaking as Choral Music Coordinator (i.e. librarian) of ST. Olaf College,
Northfield MN., I have _The New Oxford Book of Carols_ in front of me.
ISBN 0-19-353323-5

"Comprised of 201 carols (many in more than one musical setting), _The New
Oxford Book of Carols_ is supplemented with extensive notes on their 
historical background and performance.  The carols are presented using
period settings and primary sources whenever possible, with a concern
for historically informed performance across a variety of different 
repertories."

It has both composed and traditional carols, including traditional English,
Irish, Welsh, American, German, Trinidadian, Czech, Polish, Provencal, French,
Basque, Spanish, and Neapolitan.  A lot of the composed carols state which
manuscript they are found in.

This is published, as usual, by Oxford University Press, Walton Street,
Oxford OX2 6DP, and I hope someone can inform me of their local distributors,
since I don't know.

Overall, a good book for beginning research on carols.

Peregrine

From: sherman at trln.lib.unc.edu (dennis r. sherman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: British Books in Print
Date: 5 Jan 94 14:15:15 GMT
Organization: Triangle Research Libraries Network

Greetings to the Rialto from Robyyan.

Peregrine says, while discussing the _Oxford Book of Carols_:
>This is published, as usual, by Oxford University Press, Walton Street,
>Oxford OX2 6DP, and I hope someone can inform me of their local distributors,
>since I don't know.

       Oxford University Press
       2001 Evans Rd
       Cary, NC  27513
       USA
       800-451-7556

Sorry I don't have a non-800 number for non-US folks.  I believe the 
telephone number for the Oxfordshire location is 0865 567-67.
--
  Robyyan Torr d'Elandris  Kapellenberg, Windmaster's Hill  Atlantia
  Dennis R. Sherman  	         Triangle Research Libraries Network
  dennis_sherman at unc.edu       Univ. of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

From: Robin Carroll-Mann <RCMANN at delphi.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: HARP
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 94 13:58:04 EST
Organization: Delphi Internet

<torin.ironbrow at sfnet.COM> writes:
 
>I was wondering if anybody had any good sources for learing how to play the
>celtic lap harp?  I have been able to borrow one for about a month and can use
>all the help I can get.  I do have the Sylvia Woods book and am using that. 
 
I've been playing for about 4 years and taught myself from the Sylvia Woods
book.  I just bought _Exploring the Folk Harp_ by Janna & Mallory Geller.
Published by Mel Bay.  Price $19.95  (ISBN 1-56222-907-9)
Try your music store or call Mel Bay at 1-800-863-5229
 
The book doesn't assume musical knowledge & has good info on technique,
arranging, harp-buying, harp history, & more.  The authors perform at
renfaires (don't know if they're SCAdians) and they discuss stuff of interest
to SCA harpers, like how to play outdoors, suitable garb for harping (avoid
chainmail!), period musical style, etc.  The 38 songs include folk tunes
and a section of a dozen English Renaissance songs (with words).
 
Enjoy your harping!
 
Brighid ni Chiarain of Tethba
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: locksley at indirect.com (Joe Bethancourt)
Subject: Re: HARP                 
Organization: Internet Direct Inc (602)274-0100
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 17:36:20 GMT

 Rc> lphi.com!usenet From: Robin Carroll-Mann <RCMANN at delphi.com>
 Rc> Subject: Re: HARP
 Rc> Date: Sat, 15 Jan 94 13:58:04 EST

 Rc> <torin.ironbrow at sfnet.COM> writes:
 
 >I was wondering if anybody had any good sources for learing how to play the
 >celtic lap harp?  I have been able to borrow one for about a month and can use
 >all the help I can get.  I do have the Sylvia Woods book and am using that. 
 Rc> 
 Rc> I've been playing for about 4 years and taught myself from the Sylvia
 Rc> Woods book.  I just bought _Exploring the Folk Harp_ by Janna & Mallory
 Rc> Geller. Published by Mel Bay.  Price $19.95  (ISBN 1-56222-907-9)
 Rc> Try your music store or call Mel Bay at 1-800-863-5229
 Rc> 
 Rc> The book doesn't assume musical knowledge & has good info on
 Rc> technique, arranging, harp-buying, harp history, & more.  The authors
 Rc> perform at renfaires (don't know if they're SCAdians) and they discuss
 Rc> stuff of interest to SCA harpers, like how to play outdoors, suitable
 Rc> garb for harping (avoid chainmail!), period musical style, etc.  The 38
 Rc> songs include folk tunes and a section of a dozen English Renaissance
 Rc> songs (with words). 

And if an SASE is sent me at PO Box 35190, Phoenix, AZ 85069, I will send a
copy of my small manual on -medieval- harp techniques.......

... Cavalier Foreplay: "Gee, my love, I may be too pretty for you!"
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
   
--
locksley at indirect.com                               Locksley Plot Systems
Inc. White Tree Productions                              CyberMongol Ltd.

From: sharons at juliet.ll.mit.EDU (Sharon Stanfill)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: harp
Date: 17 Jan 1994 14:30:44 -0500
Organization: The Internet

A good series of books for learing to harp is published by Stephanie Curcio.
They are intended for both folk and pedal. They start at a very basic level
and are excellent for learning how to work out fingerings. Stephanie is
a harper/harpist/instructor. I can't quite recall the prices, but I thing
think each of the three books is 8.95. Contact Stephanie at:
Stephanie Curcio Pub.
58 Winnicutt Road
Stratham, NH 03885
603-778-1368

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: mjc+ at cs.cmu.edu (Monica Cellio)
Subject: Re: Hammered Dulcimer
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 1994 16:46:33 GMT

>I am looking for sources of medieval music written for the Hammered Dulcimer.

Within period, if music was written specifically for the dulcimer it didn't
survive.  There are a few arrangements by modern people in period styles
(of varying success) out there; a few are in Carrie Crompton's book
"Hammer Dulcimer Solos".  Mostly, though, you'll have to roll your own.

This isn't as bad as it sounds.  For starters, even a basic melody, played
well, sounds very good on the dulcimer.  If you're interested in playing
for dancing, you'd do well to learn a lot of the basic dance melodies;
you can get away with no embellishment, though as you get better as a player
you'll find yourself embellishing and trying more complex pieces.  If there
are musicians in your group ask them for dance music; if there aren't,
try poking through Playford, Arbeau, etc.  If nothing else, you should
be able to find music at large events like Pennsic and Estrella.

>Tips on learning to play the hammered dulcimer will also be appreciated!

Keep practicing, and remember to exercise the off hand. :-)

I'm self-taught on the dulcimer, as are most of the players I've talked
to over the years.  There are some reasonable books, but your best results
will come from (1) gabbing with other players (ideally in person where
you can *show* techniques) and (2) experimenting on your own.  (I don't
know where you're located, but I'll happily teach people at events; just
ask.)

Ellisif

From: augment at world.std.com (Michael Bergman)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: mediaeval jewish music
Date: 7 Apr 1994 23:34:13 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway

I thought that this might be of interest to people.  Its from
rec.music.early

------- Forwarded Message

From: eclectic at MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 94 18:06:09 -0400
Subject: Medieval Sephardic Music from Spain  [rec.music.early #8738]

- ------ Forwarded Article <9403300020.AA16884 at software.pulse.com>
- ------ From Dave Lampson <dave.lampson at PULSE.COM>

I recently got a fascinating CD that I thought the group might like to know
about.  It is the second disc in a series called the "Jewels of Sephardim"
exploring the medieval Spanish/Jewish balladry preserved by the Sephardim,
descendants of the Jews of medieval Spain.
 
This new release, titled "Wings of Time: The Sephardic Legacy of Multi-
Cultural Medieval Spain" (Songbird Music AEACD 1405 55:47) features
vocalist and dulcimer player Lauren Pomerantz joined by three
instrumentalists who have appeared on Ensemble Alcatraz' albums (Danse
Royale and Visions & Miracles, at least): Kit Higginson, recorder and
psaltry; Shira Kammen, vielle and rebec; and Peter Maund, percussion.
 
In the five centuries before the diaspora created by the inquisition, Spain
flourished as a multi-cultural crossroads bringing together the cultures of
the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.  This music, sung beautifully in
Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) provides a unique glimpse into this culture.  I
highly recommend it to anyone intersted in music from this time.  This
release, as well as the earlier volume titled "Jewels of Sephardim: Songs
from Medieval Spain", complement the Gallician, Anglo-Norman, French and
Latin music to be found on the Ensemble Alcatraz albums giving the listener
a overview of the musical styles in Western Europe during that period.  If
you like Ensemble Alcatraz, and/or have interest in the music of the Near
East and how it has affected Western music, you'll find much of interest
here, to say nothing of the skilled and passionate music-making that make
this disc more than worthwhile in it's own right.  Have I mentioned the
wonderfully transparent, ambient, and well-balanced recording?  Highly
recommended.
 
I understand that these CDs are available at Tower Records (mail order
1-800-648-4844) and through a couple of other small distributors (let me
know if you need this info).  You can also get them directly from Songbird
Music.  Apparently they are not set up to take credit cards, but if you
send a check or money order they say they can ship it to you First Class
within a day.
 
   Pricing, which includes postage and handling:
   Wings of Time CD:       $15
   Wings of Time cassette: $10
   Jewels of the Sephardim CD:   $15
   Jewels of the Sephardim cass: $10
 
Both recordings include the lyrics and translations in the CD and
cassette.  Address:
 
   Songbird Music
   271 Tamarisk Court
   Walnut Creek, CA 94598-3629
 
   Phone: 510 938-4003
 
For those who wish to charge it, you may order it through either Tower or:
 
   The Musical Offering (Berkeley)
   1-800 466-0211
 
Dave
lampson at pulse.com

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 09:23:40 MST
From: "Russell Husted" <husted at hotmail.com>
Subject: ANST - Medieval Music
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

This site was posted on another list. If you keep hitting the arrow at the 
bottom you will see stuff on a variety of cultures' music.
http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/M151/Arab_Music1.html

mahee

<the end>