[Jararvellir] Music Suggestions

[Clint Hotaling]

Hello, All!

Don't discount Best Buy so fast.  While eclectic and somewhat sparse, they 
have good stuff from time to time at better prices than most.

I'd also try the Exclusive Company (State Street and off of D'nofrio on the 
West Side).

Pax,
Nikolaus der Ausländer, CW, APF, AoA, Cygnus, Crwth, Pisces, Alistair's 
Lamp, Herald-at-(very-)Large, Leader of the Jararvellir Music Guild

================================================
"Tho' I may look old, I am strong and lusty."
-Wm. Shakespeare, "As You Like It"




----Original Message Follows----
From: jennifer-friedman at sbcglobal.net
To: jararvellir at minstrel.com
Subject: Re: [Jararvellir] Music Suggestions
Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 20:30:40 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Siglen and list members,

I'm not so much into tribal percussion (at least not enough to have a bunch 
of good CDs of it), but here are my recommendations for good medieval (& 
some Renaissance) music CDs for people who are looking for lively, fun 
recordings and are more-or-less at the beginning of their 
medival/renaissance music journey:

Kalenda Maya: songs and dances from 1200 to 1550 / Kalenda Maya
This is a Norwegian group, folksy but well-researched.  Music from all over 
Europe.  Everyone I've lent this CD to has been reluctant to give it back.  
The songs take up residence in your head.

The Way of the Pilgrim: medieval songs of travel / The Toronto Consort
A good selection of pieces from all over Europe, incl. music from two 
important collections, the Carmina Burana and the Cantigas de Santa Maria.  
Travel music is fun.

Spanish Music of Travel and Discovery / The Waverly Consort
A 2-CD set with lots more travel music specifically from Spain, including 
the complete Llibre Vermell.  This group is pretty reliable.

A lot of the stuff by Hesperion XX or XXI (they added the I when the century 
turned) is very fun/energetic, but they cover a large period of time in 
their recordings, from medieval to Baroque (Baroque is approx. 
1600's-1700's).  Unfortunately a lot of them are out-of-print in the U.S. 
but Amazon offers import editions for many of them.  My favorites by them 
are two oriented around the reigns of kings/queens:
Isabel I: Reina de Castilla (1451-1504 Spanish music)
Carlos V: Mille Regretz, Cancion del Emperador (1500's Spanish music)

The World of Early Music: from the Middle Ages to the Dawn of the 
Enlightenment
This is a Naxos 2-CD set with performances by lots of different ensembles.  
I mostly listen to the first disc but the second is fine too, just doesn't 
fall within SCA period.  What's nice about this collection is that it 
demonstrates the changes in style from chant all the way to Baroque music 
(the first CD goes from chant to just-post-Renaissance) and there's a lot of 
choral music, which I adore!

Llibre Vermell / Sarband & Osnabrucker Jugend Chor
The Llibre Vermell is a small collection of pilgrim songs from the road to 
Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  (You might have heard the Jararvellir or 
Northshield Choir do "Stella Splendens"; that's from the Llibre Vermell.)  
They are fabulous pieces and I think everyone in the SCA should have a 
recording of them.  This version is very spirited.  Lots of instrumental 
accompaniment/interludes.

Specific types of music--bear in mind this is my breakdown based on what I 
like; that doesn't mean that other categories don't exist!
Sephardic (music from communities descended from the exiled Jews of 
Spain/Portugal):
     Anything by La Rondinella
     "Mudejar" by Begona Olavide--Begona plays the plucked psaltery, which 
sounds a bit like a harp
     Anything by Voice of the Turtle
Spanish:
     A Royal Songbook: Spanish music from the time of Columbus / Musica 
Antiqua of London
English:
     Miri it is: Songs & instrumental music from Medieval England / Dufay 
Collective
         (I like anything by the Dufay Collective actually)
Choral music (mostly just voices):
     Anything by The Rose Ensemble
     Anything by The Voices of Ascension, esp. "From Chant to Renaissance" 
which has all the best Renaissance motets
     Anything by Lionheart
     Anything by Anonymous 4

I am not much into harp music specifically, but have to point out a CD by a 
recently deceased member of the Boston Camerata, John Fleagle, called 
"World's Bliss" where he plays the gothic wire-strung harp and sings a 
variety of period and "traditional" English/French/Appalachian folksongs, 
some with their traditional tunes and some with tunes he has written or 
paired with them.  He has this wonderful voice; it's hard to describe, like 
a wandering minstrel has come by to entertain you. It's apparently 
out-of-print but his family/friends have made it available via Magnatune 
(http://magnatune.com/artists/fleagle ) and Shazam 
(http://www.shazam.com/music/portal/page/album/productid/52497/john+fleagle/world's+bliss.html 
).

I could go on...and on...and on...and I haven't even touched specifically 
instrumental music, because I don't buy much of it!  The group "Piffaro" is 
an instrumental ensemble worth checking out.

Once you become familiar with the time periods/places/ensembles/types of 
music you like, there is a LOT of medieval and Renaissance music out there, 
even at your local Borders or Barnes & Noble (Best Buy is not known for 
carrying this stuff).  It is generally lumped into the classical music 
section.  I don't think most people realize how much good early music has 
been recorded, much of it by professional musicians who do their research 
and strive for authenticity while keeping their performances interesting and 
accessible.  You do NOT have to listen only to modern Celtic music (very 
little of which has any pre-1600 content) to get yourself in the mood for an 
SCA event.

Happy buying (or interlibrary-loan-ing)!

Eliane

p.s.--Give yourself a treat and buy a concert pass for the Madison Early 
Music Festival concerts.  You'll miss the first couple if you go to WW, but 
the rest are well worth the $65 for the concert pass, and the pre-concert 
lectures are free.  http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/LSA/memf/concerts.htm

THL Eliane Halevy
Barony of Jararvellir, Kingdom of Northshield
Jennifer Friedman, 2010 Allen Blvd. #1, Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 238-7627, jennifer-friedman at sbcglobal.net, www.gflower.org


----- Original Message ----
From: Kelly Olmstead <kolmstead at tds.net>
To: Jararvellir_List <jararvellir at minstrel.com>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 10:22:31 PM
Subject: [Jararvellir] Music Suggestions


I am wondering if anyone can recommend some CDs.  I am looking for good 
tribal drum music, and also for good medieval music.  I¢m particularly fond 
of harp, recorder, hammered dulcimer, and cittern.  I love the Medieval 
Baebes but I have all their stuff already, and a lot of The King¢s Singers 
as well.

Thanks much!
Siglen of Jararvellir
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