Early music is fun!

[Ella Beck]

This is a thread to post discoveries you've made or lovely examples of early music.

On TC, the early music fans can be a wee bit purist. But here, just post what you like, whether it's truly historically informed performance, or whether it's just people enjoying themselves with crumhorns.

 

[Ella Beck]

I love this - Caliban's Dream playing La Volta. It features the use of pipe and tabor, played by one person, that was a feature of medieval music making. The sounds of each instrument went so well together that 'pipe and tabor' was held to be a mystical trope for God and the soul.

 

[Ella Beck]

Shawms are fab! Here are two samples of David Munrow's shawm music.

 

[Ella Beck]

La Rotta by DragonAria - so spirited.

 

[Ella Beck]

Here's a trailer for Joglaresa's album of medieval Christmas Carols - I love this video, because the fiddler is my violin teacher (who's also a HIP professional violinist and violist).

 

[Fretless]

Two of my favorites:

 

[Fretless]

A nice quartet arrangement:

 

[Ella Beck]

Thanks, Fretless, for posting these lovely videos!

 

[Ella Beck]

Away with these self-loving lads - John Dowland.

I love this Elizabethan song which satirises lovers - the lyrics are so witty.

Away with these self-loving lads,
Whom Cupids arrow never glads,
Away, poor souls that sigh and weep
In love of those that lie and sleep,
For Cupid is a meadow god,
And forceth none to kiss the rod.

God Cupids shaft, like destiny,
Doth either good or ill decree,
Desert is born out of his bow,
Reward upon his foot doth go
What fools are they that have not known
That love like no laws but his own!

My songs that be of Cynthia's praise
I wear her rings on holidays,
On every tree I write her name,
And ev'ry day I read the same,
Where honour Cupid's rival is
There miracles are seen of his.

If Cynthia crave her ring of me,
I blot her name out of a tree,
If doubt do darken things held dear,
Then well fare nothing once a year!
For many run but one must win,
Fools only hedge the cuckoo in.

The worth that worthiness move is love,
Which is the bow of love,
And love as well the foster can
As can the mighty noble man,
Sweet saint, 'tis true you worhty be,
Yet without love naught worth to me.

 

[Ella Beck]

14th century Christmas Carol.

 

[Ella Beck]

The York Waits perform early and renaissance music. We only wish we were in York for their 'Early Music Christmas'. But here is a trailer (Crions Nouel) for a York Waits Early Music Christmas album that they made in 2015. It looks good - maybe we'll buy it.

 

[John Watt]

If you're saying early music to me, that could also be early learning.
You'll have to imagine a kindergarten class learning to sing this one.

"Three little mice sat down to spin. Pussy passed by and she peeked in,
where are you at, my little friends, we're making coats for gentlemen.
Can I come in and bite off your thread? Oh no Miss Pussy you'll bite off our heads.
Oh no I won't, if you let me in. That may be so, but you can't come in."

I'm pretty sure these are the words, but if I knew the title I would try to look up a video.

 

[Ella Beck]

Here's another Tudor Tune - a classic, Lady Carey's Dompe, here played by Musica Antiqua of London.

But who wrote it? Whodunnit?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lady_Carey's_Dompe

 

[Ella Beck]

Here's a piece of fun Early Music appropriate for the season.

The Boar's Head Carol, sung by Magpie Lane.

Here are the lyrics:

The boar's head in hand bring I, (Or: The boar's head in hand bear I,)
Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary.
And I pray you, my masters, be merry (Or: And I pray you, my masters, merry be)
Quot estis in convivio (Translation: As many as are in the feast)

CHORUS
Caput apri defero (Translation: The boar's head I bear)
Reddens laudes Domino (Translation: Giving praises to the Lord)

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land,
Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland
Let us servire cantico. (Translation: Let us serve with a song)

CHORUS

Our steward hath provided this
In honour of the King of Bliss;
Which on this day to be servèd is
In Reginensi atrio. (Translation: In the hall of Queen’s [College, Oxford])

 

[Ella Beck]

Green growth the holly - carol from the court of Henry VIII of England. Happy Christmas!

 

[Ella Beck]

A lovely frosty Christmas Morning. Glad tidings - rejoice.

[h=1]Christum wir sollen loben schon (Osiander)[/h]

 

[Ella Beck]

Getting away from Christmas - 'Will You Walk the Woods So Wild?' by William Byrd.

 

[Ella Beck]

I love this popular sixteenth tune & all i ts variations - 'John, Come Kiss Me Now'. My husband loves this too - coincidentally, he is called John

 

[Ella Beck]

Lovely little Byrd snippet - what a wonderfully twangly sound. Coranto, from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book.

 

[Ella Beck]

Saltarello - lovely sound.