This musician was a major influence on Tallis and Taverner, served both Henry VII and Henry VIII, and in 1520 led the Chapel Royal in the state visit to France known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold. Also, Eton Choirbook composer! Meet Robert Fayrfax!
Emendemus in melius
Some days (all days?) just need gorgeous polyphony!
Medieval Repertoire in the 18th Century
Hot on the heels of me giving someone the quick version of "how to medieval music"**, this awesome video from Early Music Sources takes a dive into the troubadour repertoire, recounting a lot of the same process I walked someone through this morning!
**I make transcriptions of and coach people on the music of Hildegard von Bingen! Hit me up for all your neume-learning, medieval-interpretation things.
Christ lag in Todesbanden - Hammerschmidt
Courtesy of my friend and colleague Liza Malamut and Incantare, today's Early Music Monday is this gorgeous setting of "Christ lag in Todesbanden" by Andreas Hammerschmidt!
The Judgement of Paris
Somewhere in English music history between Purcell and Handel, John Weldon won a competition for his setting of "The Judgement of Paris". Never heard of it? (I hadn't). Now you have!
Bach Partita in E major, on marimba
I've always had complicated feelings about transcriptions, but came across this video yesterday, and it was exactly what this Monday needed.
Test your composer knowledge
What a fun way to test your knowledge of composers! Some early, some not, but all worth knowing/programming! Take the 10-question test here!
L'amante Impazzito
I've spent the last two weeks exploring this fantastic piece by Simone Coya - basically a study in someone spiraling until they decide going mad is actually a viable option!
The Greensleeves Project
After last week’s exploration of historical fashions from “Greensleeves”, here’s the finished video (and recording)!
Greensleeves - the clothing
In the early music world, we often spend time exploring non-musical sources to give us clues about the role of music in different times. But the inverse is also true! Check out this fun video exploring what the song "Greensleeves" can tell us about historical clothing!