Newsletter October 2021
Hello all!
I've made the big decision (for me!) to turn the newsletter into a blog, to be hosted (as you can see) on the MMitD website. So from now on, you'll be getting an email with the link to the blog page, along with a summary of the content for that newsletter. I've been having a few issues with the various formats for newsletters, so I hope that this will work! This newsletter looks back at our recent festival and gives listings for medieval music events coming up, both from MMitD and others. You can jump to the listings here.
MMitD 2021 - A Dance in Italy
First, a quick look back at this year's festival.
This year, our concerts took place in the Great Chamber, which allowed for more audience distancing. Our musicians all seem to have enjoyed the chance to play in this spectacular fourteenth-century setting! The concerts were captured on video by amazing volunteer videographer Ray Wiseman (to whom many thanks), and these will be available to all on our YouTube channel in the new year.
We moved our Whole Gamut Tavern from inside the Castle to a big marquee outside the Castle. We were quite nervous about this - would it achieve the amazing atmosphere of the insider Tavern? But it was a blast! The festival volunteers decorated the marquee with hangings and garlands and there were cushions and sheepskins to sit on - in the evenings, it was especially cosy.
This year our Castle Stages were in Queen Mary's Chamber and in the Tavern. As usual, there were some amazing performances and the Castle Stage Performers added a huge amount to the festival.
Lots more images, video and audio will be put up on the Archive page in the new year. All these pictures are by our festival photographer Guy Carpenter (www.gullwingphotography.co.uk) unless otherwise marked.
Coming Up...
Here's our gazetteer of interesting medieval music events coming up. We start of course with forthcoming dates for Medieval Music in the Dales events!
November 23rd 2021, 8-10pm Online via Zoom Free, donations welcome | A Very Royal Birthday | Celebrate the 800th anniversary of Alfonso X of Castille - creator of the Cantigas de Santa Maria - with an evening of recorded performances and other delights from the Cantigas. Do you have a Cantiga you can offer? All contributions welcome! |
March 18th-20th 2022 (NB Friday 18th Friends Only) Online via Zoom | MMitD Online 2022 | Our third online Festival will feature contributions from our 2022 festival performers and others, workshops and a chance to meet an instrument maker or two. If you'd like to take part on our virtual Castle Stages, please get in touch! |
September 6th-8th 2022 The Jonas Centre, Wensleydale. | MMitD Summer School 2022 | A chance to work with outstanding medieval musicians Stef Conner, Hanna Marti and Elisabeth Pawelke on composition, singing and ensemble playing. |
September 9th-11th 2022, Bolton Castle in Wensleydale | MMitD 2022: Medieval Women - Music Makers and Muses | A celebration - and an investigation - of the female contribution to music making in the middle ages. With an outstanding roster of concert performers, workshops and Castle Stage performances |
And here are some other medieval music events coming up over the next few months - well worth checking out.
2nd November 6pm OR 3rd November 3pm OR 9th November 5pm ONLINE, and in each case on Eastern Time (for Maryland) which I think is GMT-4 FREE More information here. | Crack the Sacred Code: How to Decipher Medieval Music With Eya Medieval Music | A free workshop led by Eya’s director Allison Mondel. You will learn the basics of reading the music of medieval visionary Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) from its original source, and discover the secret ingredient bringing this music into ecstatic, reverent life. |
Songs from Medieval Europe with Voice | Voice, present “A life of love and joy” - a programme of songs that illustrate both joyful, celebratory settings of poetry often using the theme of birds as heraldic symbols, and the recurring topic of unattainable love so often expounded in Medieval Europe. | |
London International Festival of Early Music Exhibition | Wonderful instrument makers, including some MMitD regulars. | |
12th November, 8pm GMT | Boogie Knights A Concert with Joglaresa | See below! |
Boogie Knights A Course with Joglaresa | Join early music group Joglaresa for a plague party (see Boccaccio's Decameron!) where the knights are villainous and the dancers seductive. Alongside the medieval 'hit' Machaut's Douce Dame there are many lesser-known pieces that you'll wish you'd always known - some of medieval Europe's 'funkiest' tunes (it wasn't all plainchant you know)! | |
21st November 2021, 4pm GMT The Clarendon Muse, Watford, WD18 7JA | Joglaresa in concert | More information and booking here |
Reynard the Fox with Trouvere | Madcap medieval music and foolery! | |
5th December 2021, 2.30pm GMT St Andrews, Marks Tey, nr Colchester, Essex More information and booking here | Yuletide Revels with Amyas Part of Colchester Early Music Festival | Songs and dances for the festive season from the 14th-16th centuries. |
Ancient Music for the Festive Season with The York Waits | The music of Advent, Christmas and winter revelry has deep roots in the medieval and Tudor periods. The Waits celebrate the Festive Season with songs, carols and dances from across medieval and renaissance England and Europe, performed on loud and quiet wind consorts, bowed and plucked strings, and the rustic bagpipes and vielle. | |
Ancient Music for the Festive Season with The York Waits | as above | |
Ancient Music for the Festive Season with The York Waits, for Leamington Early Music | as above | |
2nd January 2022, 2.30pm GMT St Andrews, Marks Tey, nr Colchester, Essex More information and booking here | Myrie May Ye Daunce! with Trouvere Part of Colchester Early Music Festival | In the middle ages, the 12 Days of Christmas (between Christmas and Epiphany on January 6th) were a time of revels and feasting. Trouvere will enliven your 12 Days with a programme of dances from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. |
That's all for now everyone!