Teachout's Virtual Concert Hall

Welcome to Teachout's Virtual Concert Hall©. Each month I will be posting here a mini-concert of some of my favorite musical selections. In order to hear the concert you will need to have the Real Audio Player©. (Fortunately it is free!) If you don't have a copy of the program just click on the link at the bottom of the page.

In celebration of the Maryland Renaissance Festival, this month I have selected music from the Renaissance period. The six selected pieces run the gamut from harpsichord music, to music for a religious feastday, to an Irish pub song. The concert will take approximately 17 minutes. I hope you enjoy my selections.

Let the music begin!

Greensleeves (traditional)

We might as well get it over with at the start, or I'll get a ton of e-mail asking how I could put together a Renaissance concert without including Greensleeves. :-) One of the most often retold stories of Greensleeves it that it was written by King Henry VIII. That tale cannot be either proved or disproved, with scholars voicing opinion on both sides. Regardless of the identity of the composer, Greensleeves has become one of the best-known works to come from the Renaissance period. This performance is by Igor Kipnis on the harpsichord. The invention of the harpsichord in 1397 was claimed by Hermann Poll, who gave it the unwieldy name of "clavicembalum." Fortunately, its English namve was soon taken up in common usage. The harpsichord's sound is easily recognized, but not necessarily universally loved. Sir Thomas Beecham claimed the instrument "sounds like two skeletons copulating on a corrigated tin roof."

Loquebantur Variis Linguis by Thomas Tallis

Thomas Tallis has the distinction of having composed for the courts of four Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Mary, Elizabeth I, and Edward VI. Amazingly enough, despite the turbulance created by the fluxuations between protestantism and catholicism, Tallis maintained his popularity and had a high level of output, managing to write works for both sides of the pew (so to speak). During the early Renaissance, much of the music was still being written for the church for religious usage. This piece was written for the feast of Whitsun, also called Whitsunday. We know the day better as the Day of Pentecost. It was celebrated 50 days following Easter (just as the Jewish religion had a corresponding (earlier) feast day 50 days following Passover).and was a major church celebration. The name of the song is latin for "speaking in tongues."

La Brosse, published by Pierre Attaingnant

Who said those Renaissance rascals didn't have a beat?! La Brosse is an example of a Basse dance, one of the dance forms, along with the Pavane and Galliard, of the early 1500's. If you know more about it than that, let me know. I'll put it here and credit the information to you. La Brosse shows that as long as something's got a good driving beat, people will dance to it(and before you criticize the repetitive tune, think of Rap, Disco, and Line Dancing. ;-) ). The perfomers are Calliope.

Star of the County Down, traditional,
arrangement © by Laura Lingle and Stephanie Lichtman-Price; used with permission

I told you we'd have an Irish pub song! You didn't think the only music in the Renaissance was being played in Court and the Church did you? In the Renaissance, the madrigals and troubadours had their heydey, and if there was no strolling minstral to sing of "courtly love" while people had their supper and a drink, why then the people would sing their own brand of song. This particular song tells of how a young man falls madly in love with the most beautiful lass of the County Down, Ireland, and determines to have her for a wife. For those who are interested, the chorus states that the maid is the most lovely girl ever seen "from Bantry Bay to Derry Quey (sp?) and from Galway to Dublin town;" places that are roughly the most South, North, West, and East on Ireland. This song is from the new compact disc from that wonderful duo, Caprizzio, called Caprizzio: Women of Whimsey which you can order by sending e-mail to The Women of Whimsey.

Pavane, traditaional French dance

Here is another dance popular in the 1500's. While the Galliard was a very athletic dance, with an emphasis on leg kicks and jumps, the Pavane was a more courtly dance, as is reflected in this music. It is this type of music that most people associate with Renaissance music, a stereotype I hope I've helped to dispell. Performing here again for you're relaxing and courtly pleasure are Calliope.

La Mourisque by Tielman Susato

Finally, to help end this concert with a bang, here are the Canadian Brass with a very short, but very vigorous dance tune. If you've never heard the Canadian Brass, you've being living a sheltered life. Enjoy (but beware the last note or it'll get you!).

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Teachout's Virtual Concert Hall© 1998 by Robert S. Teachout. All rights reserved