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Home , Bowed psaltery, Celtic harp, Crumhorn, Garklein recorder, Gilles Binchois, Johannes Ciconia

A Medieval and Showcase presented by Lumina Vocal Ensemble and Lyrebyrd Consort with guest artist Artistic Director: Anna Pope Lumina Conductor: Clive Conway Dr Rob Morrison Assistant Conductor: Meg Pope as Narrator AA MMeeddiieevvaall && RReennaaiissssaannccee SShhoowwccaassee Programme notes by Anna Pope Given how many hundreds of thousands of musical pieces date from the Mediaeval and Renaissance period, it has been a real challenge to choose just a few to represent the breadth of styles and ideas that developed during 700 years of European history. Lumina and Lyrebyrd have selected 23 pieces to showcase the medieval period, starting with a beautiful plainsong Caritas abundat by the powerful 12th century Abbess : Loving tenderness abounds for all from the darkest to the most eminent one beyond the stars, Exquisitely loving all she bequeaths the kiss of peace upon the ultimate King. Next, we hear from Richard the Lionheart, King of England and parts of for just a decade at the end of the 12th century, but renowned for his bravery during the Crusades. The doleful ballad Ja nun hons pris complains that his friends seem to have forsaken him: I have many friends but their gifts are few in number. They will be shamed if I remain in captivity these two winters because my ransom is not paid. Then we move into the 13th century with a popular song from England. Miri it is features many of the instruments we’re introducing today including , , , , cornemuse, and percussion. Merry it is while summer lasts and we hear the birds sing. But alas in winter the nights are long, the weather harsh, and we sorrow and fast. After thousands of years of music that was mostly one line, music in two or three interweaving parts became common by the 13th century. Some examples include the following three-part pieces for recorder: J’aloie l’autre jor errant by Thibaut de Champagne, King of Navarre (c1230) and an anonymous Dance tune from c1300. Of the over 200 recordings Lumina have uploaded to YouTube, by far the most popular is the 13th century English song Sumer is icumen in. The song has a timeless charm that captures audiences today. One of the most striking instruments of the mediaeval period is the , a recent challenge taken up by Lyrebyrd. Next is the first of two pieces in today’s concert featuring the instrument: Belial vocatur from the 13th century Codex las Huelgas, and later a piece from c1500. Contrasting with the crumhorn’s strident sound, Lyrebyrd next present a meditative interpretation of Laudemus (from the Codex), featuring plucked string instruments including oud, lute, , Finnish , harp, rebec and .

We then enter the 14th century with music by two of its most influential : and – the latter described by Petrarch as ‘the greatest musician of his day’. Machaut’s Puis qu’en oubli is a captivating lyrical three-part secular song that tells of unrequited love: Since I am forgotten by you, sweet friend. I say farewell to the life of love and joy. In contrast, Philippe de Vitry’s extraordinary isorhythmic Vos qui admiramini virginem is dedicated to the Virgin Mary – at least in part. However, there is also a crossover with the theme of . While the lower parts sing of a ‘Most dear virginal image, adorned with bodily purity’ the upper part sings ‘Take heed you who admire maidens. If we are to be worthy of wedding the one above all others, after we have married her she must be greatly loved’. The piece ends with evocative words, both spiritual and sensuous: O king of kings, join eye to eye and mouth to mouth for a kiss, and breathe a word from your lips, which when received may make this flesh godlike. Next we meet all of the seven sizes of recorder being played by Lyrebyrd today, from the tiny garklein to the great bass in Fauvel nous a fait by Romain de Fauvel. We finish our visit to the medieval period with the rollicking Trotto – another piece that is particularly popular on Lumina’s YouTube channel – and the intricate four-part song Doctorum principem by (1370?–1412). The work celebrates the life of Ciconia’s patron : Let us sing in the sweetest melody, let our honeyed voices touch the stars, let us play our song concordantly on the , let the be struck and sound through our … Francesco Zabarella… posterity will celebrate your skills for all time, world without end. The birth of the Renaissance In the second half of our performance today we move into the Renaissance period, starting with majestic choral works by two of the towering geniuses of the 15th century. ’s Mort, tu as navré de ton dart remembers the much-admired medieval : Death, you have wounded with your dart the father of joy in unfurling your standard over Binchois, that paragon of goodness. Weep, whoever is of good will, weep for your university, pray for his soul.

It is fitting, therefore, to follow Ockeghem’s masterpiece with a stunning work by Josquin des Pres in memory of Johannes Ockeghem. pays homage to Ockeghem in both word and musical form, with plaintive cries. Wood-, goddesses of the fountains, Skilled singers of every nation, Turn your voices, so clear and lofty, To piercing cries and lamentation Because Atropos, terrible satrap, Has caught your Ockeghem in her trap, The true treasurer of music and master, Learned, handsome and by no means stout. It is a source of great sorrow that the earth must cover him. Put on the clothes of mourning, Josquin, , Brumel, Compère, And weep great tears from your eyes, For you have lost your good father. May they rest in peace. Amen. We then present several instrumental groupings and pieces that would have been popular in the Renaissance period, including a fanfare from the and then two dances on . The Washerwoman’s Bransle (pronounced ‘brawl’) is a traditional dance dating back to medieval times, and was published in Thoinet Arbeau’s Orchesography in 1589 (one of the best records we have of early dances from the medieval and Renaissance periods). The dance includes hand claps depicting the way washerwomen bet their cloths on the banks of the river Seine. La Morisque is believed to date back to 1150 and was influenced by the Spanish Moors. The dance was later arranged and published by . Next, Lyrebyrd’s recorder consort will perform a delightful dance by Holborne, followed by the consort playing a dance by Susato. We finish our Renaissance sojourn in England, first in the Tower of London where the unlucky second wife of Henry VIII awaited her execution. Although Anne Boleyn’s O Deathe rocke me asleepe may have been written by one of her admirers rather than herself, it remains achingly poignant. We then return to court with a fanfare from the cornemuses Passo media, followed by the jolly Pastime with good company attributed to Henry VIII. That’s all we could fit into today’s program, but if you want to hear some more wonderful music from the medieval period, don’t miss our July 2020 concert Alchemy – the search for medieval gold in the Umbrella Festival. If you also love the Renaissance period, then you have the chance to hear more in our August 2020 concert Elegance – Explorations in (Dufay to Purcell), also in the Umbrella Festival. We hope to see you there! Anna Pope, February 2020

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Sopranos: Rachel Sag, Carolyn Wilkins & Anna Pope (Artistic Director) Altos: Penny Dally, Sarah Lea, Meg Pope, Rosemary Byron-Scott & Kate Tretheway Tenors: Melinda Pike, Eleanor Pope, Tim Muecke, Fiona O’Connor & Peter Mahoney Basses: Clive Conway (Assistant Conductor), Kenneth Pope & Kym Waters Founded in 1999, Lumina specializes in discovering and performing music that is rarely heard. Ranging from medieval gems to masterpieces of the Renaissance and later, Lumina has also established a niche nurturing Australian composers, including performing dozens of world premieres. Based in Adelaide, Lumina has developed an international following via recordings and the internet. With five physical and two electronic CDs published and over 200 tracks available online, Lumina is listened to by hundreds of people every day and has over a million views on YouTube. The most popular works are those from the medieval period, but the contemporary Australian music is also getting a steady exposure. This is what Lumina is about – sharing wonderful music with the world, seeking out moments of magic, challenging listeners with new ideas, and giving both old and new composers a new voice. Biographies of performers are included on our website lumina.org.au/singers Have you seen Lumina on YouTube? 200+ clips and over 1.7 million hits! www.YouTube.com/user/LuminaVocalEnsemble

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Anna Pope: kantele, soprano crumhorn & percussion Rachel Sag: psaltery, soprano crumhorn & cornemuse, garklein & descant recorder Sarah Lea: & alto cornemuse Kenneth Pope: oud, sopranino & treble recorder, alto crumhorn & percussion Kari Dawson: tenor cornemuse; bass crumhorn; descant, treble & & finger cymbals Rosemary Byron-Scott: lute, bass crumhorn & Tim Muecke: descant, tenor & great bass recorders, bass crumhorn, treble viol, rebec & vielle Lizzie Zeuner: rebec & tenor viol Eleanor Pope: rebec, vielle, bass viol & percussion Meg Pope: harp, tenor rebec & bass viol

Additional percussion played by Clive Conway, Carolyn Wilkins and Peter Mahoney

LLyyrreebbyyrrdd CCoonnssoorrtt Founded in 2008, the Lyrebyrd Consort explores early music using a combination of medieval and Renaissance instruments (or at least modern reproductions thereof). The aim of the group is to discover and perform rare and evocative music from the past, and to explore different sonorities and combinations of instruments and musical ideas. Music performed by the group ranges from simple unison melodies and lively dances to complex harmonic structures, blending vocals and percussion with instrumental excursions. Lyrebyrd currently comprises a number of groups including a recorder consort, crumhorn & cornemuse consort, as well as a consort of and rebecs. Founding Director Anna Pope considers one of the thrills of establishing this diverse ensemble is the opportunity to combine the purity and ‘safety’ of vocal lines with the richness, variety and occasional risk of early instruments.

DDrr RRoobb MMoorrrriissoonn OOAAMM Rob is a freelance science communicator and broadcaster, and Professorial Fellow at Flinders University of South Australia. He has written dozens of books and worked as a science and environment broadcaster for over 45 years, most famously co-hosting the influential Curiosity Show. The Curiosity Show now has its own YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/curiosityshow with thousands of segments, tens of thousands of subscribers and many millions of views. Rob has won many national awards, including a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship, several book awards and two Eureka Prizes, one being the Australian Government Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science. He has won the Michael Daley Award for Science Journalism and the inaugural South Australian Government Award for Excellence in Science Communication. Rob‘s latest book Curious Recollections, Life in the Curiosity Show (Wakefield Press) is available for sale at the CD table.

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Angels playing psaltery (plucked), long bowed psaltery, lute, , recorder, two more early , portative organ, harp & vielle Rebec Probably originating in Morocco, bowed instruments similar to the rebec have been played in Europe and the Middle East since about the 9th century. Popular throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods, rebecs were eventually succeeded by viols and then . Lyrebyrd performs on four rebecs, including the treble and alto instruments pictured below.

Vielle were one of the most popular instruments of the medieval period. They were prized by for their versatility, having both melody and drone strings, and being able to be plucked or bowed. Later developments of the vielle include viols, violins and the hurdy- gurdy. Lyrebyrd performs on two vielles. The first (pictured below) is a rare 3-stringed vielle reconstructed from a sculpture in the west portal of Chartres Cathedral, c1230 (also pictured below). Lyrebyrd’s second vielle is a more- common 5-stringed vielle, with a ‘bourdon’ or drone string off to one side.

Harp, Psaltery & Kantele and date back to Ancient Egypt and . Dozens of different types emerged over the centuries, with harps generally being open instruments that were plucked, and psalteries either plucked or bowed and with some sort of backboard. To the right you can see a number of psaltery forms, including an extremely long bowed psaltery (being played here by a demon). All forms of harps were hugely popular in medieval times. Lyrebyrd performs on both a plucked and a bowed psaltery (pictured below), as well as a . In addition, we will showcase a Finnish kantele that is like a large psaltery with a lovely resonant tone and several drone strings.

Crumhorns and Cornemuses Crumhorns and Cornemuses are early double- instruments, fore runners of the and and related to the bagpipe. They are blown and fingered like a recorder, but involve much more pressure (to vibrate the internal reed). Their strong sound would have been ideal for fanfares and outdoor music-making. Crumhorns have a distinctive curved end, while the Renaissance cornemuse has a mellower tone. Lyrebyrd will perform on 4 sizes of crumhorn (SSATBB) and 3 sizes of cornemuse (SAT).

Viol consort Viols first appeared around the middle of the 15th century and became one of the most popular instruments of the courts. Unlike its descendant the , viols were not played under the chin but were held in front of the chest or between the legs (hence the term ‘ da gamba’). Viol consorts contained several different sizes of instrument. One member of the viol family is still used in modern orchestras – the . Lyrebyrd performs on a consort of four viols: Treble, Tenor and two bass viols (viola da gambas).

Oud & Lute date back to Ancient times in the Middle East – starting as 2 or 3 stringed plucked instruments around 4,000 years ago and developing over the centuries to have 6 or 7 courses of strings. Originally a solo instrument, Lyrebyrd have included it in some of our tutti numbers to showcase the oud’s depth and versatility. By the 12th century, ouds had started to appear in Europe, particularly in and via the Crusades. A European version of the instrument was developed in France and , and by the 13th century the types of we would recognize today were born. During the Renaissance period, the lute became the most popular solo or accompanying instrument and composers such as created hundreds of lute songs. Lyrebyrd’s instruments are based on lutes and ouds from the Renaissance period.

Percussion Some of the instruments that have changed the least since medieval times belong to the percussion family. For example, see to the right including the angel’s drum, and a playing a in a carving from Beverley Minster. Lyrebyrd have two drums based on medieval design, as well as finger cymbals and a tambourine.

Recorders Recorders were particularly popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but some examples have been found from as early as the 14th century. Lyrebyrd performs on a wide range of recorders, with 7 different sizes from the Great Bass in C, to the tiny little ‘garklein’ (‘very small’ - even smaller than the sopranino). Most of the recorders used in today’s performance are based on Renaissance instruments.

AAcckknnoowwlleeddggeemmeennttss Narrator Dr Rob Morrison OAM Conducting Clive Conway, Anna Pope & Meg Pope Lyrebyrd leadership Anna Pope & Rosemary Byron-Scott Venue St Oswald’s Church: Clive Conway Barr Smith Library, Adelaide University ~ Rose-Marie Vasiljuk Publicity & program Carolyn Wilkins, Anna & Kenneth Pope & Tim Muecke Front of house Rosemary Byron-Scott (manager), Ruth Marshall, Sarah Mahoney, Bronwyn Day, Phil Jarvis, James Pope & Penny Zeuner Performance scores, repetiteur & Kenneth Pope recording engineer Website Tim Muecke, Carolyn Wilkins, Evan Sanders www.lumina.org.au

Have you seen Lumina on YouTube? 200+ clips and over 1.7 million hits! www.YouTube.com/user/LuminaVocalEnsemble

AA MMeeddiieevvaall && RReennaaiissssaannccee SShhoowwccaassee Arrival Music Lyrebyrd Recorder Consort: Rachel Sag, Kenneth Pope, Kari Dawson, Rosemary Byron-Scott & Tim Muecke Bass duets: Clive Conway, Kym Waters & Kenneth Pope

Benedictus from Missa L’Homme armé – Josquin des Prés (1450-1521): Monstra Te Esse Matrem – Josquin des Prés (1450-1521) Now wolde y fayne – Anonymous (mid 15th century) La Bionda Treçca – (1325?–1397) Parfons regretz – Josquin des Prés (1450-1521) Pavan & Galliard (The fairy rownde) – Anthony Holborne (1545?-1601)

AA MMeeddiieevvaall && RReennaaiissssaannccee SShhoowwccaassee Caritas abundat – Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179): singers & bowed psaltery, Soloists: Anna Pope, Penny Dally, Carolyn Wilkins, Melinda Pike, Kate Tretheway & Rachel Sag Ja nun hon pris – Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199): oud, rebec, harp, Soloists: Anna Pope & Penny Dally Miri it is – Anon, English, 1225: singers, oud, lute, rebecs, harp, , kantele, vielle, garklein, drum, Soloist: Melinda Pike J’aloie l’autre jor errant – Thibaut de Champagne, Roi de Navarre, c1230: recorders and tambourine Dance tune – Anon, c1300: recorders and drum Sumer is icumen in – Anon, C13 English: singers Belial vocatur – Anon, Codex las Huelgas, C13: crumhorns Laudemus – Anon, Montserrat Codex, C14: plucked instruments: oud, lute, psaltery, kantele, harp, vielle, rebecs, plus bowed psaltery & finger cymbals Puis qu’en oubli – Guillaume de Machaut (1300?-1377): singers Vos qui admiramini – Gratissima Virginis – Philippe de Vitry (1291–1361): singers Fauvel nous a fait – Romain de Fauvel/Vitry (c1314-61): recorders Trotto – Anon, de’ Medici Manuscript c1400: recorders & rebecs Doctorum principem – Melodia suavissima – Johannes Ciconia (1370?–1412): singers INTERVAL Mort, tu as navré de ton dart (in memoriam Gilles Binchois) – Johannes Ockeghem (1425?–1497): singers Nymphes des bois – la deploration de Jehan Ockeghem – (1450?–1521): singers Ils sont bien pelez – Anon, c1500: crumhorns Washerwoman’s Bransle – Anon, traditional dance: rebecs Morisque – arr. Tielman Susato (1500-1570): rebecs Almain – Anthony Holborne (1545-1602): recorders Basse dance – Tielman Susato (1500-1570): viols O Deathe rocke me asleepe – Anne Boleyn (1501?–1536): singers, viols, Soloist Carolyn Wilkins Passo media – Anon, C16: cornemuses Pastime with good company – Henry VIII (1491–1547): singers, cornamuses, rebecs, vielle, percussion