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Music in the Fifteenth
Century
In
earlier Medieval times, servants were employed to 'mimister' to more
aristocratic musicians, thus giving rise to the word minstrel.The
minstrel acted both as servant and a fellow-musician, and would travel
around with his master. Those not finding a masterwould become
itinerant, playing, singing, tumbling, juggling and generally
entertaining where they could. They were not, however considered as
having very high status compared with those who were employed. The
ultimate goal for a musician was to hold a secure post with a recognised
master; then as the nobility increasingly aped the royal courts and set
up musical establishments, to hold a post in one of these became their
ambition. Singers and players in the royal households provided the
music for both the chapel and the feast, and many included boys for
their singing voices.
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If
a musician was not part of one of these establishments, he could
be a Wait, or a member of a guild of players whose job it
was to keep the watch in towns and entertain as well. The Waits
were on duty whenever they were needed, for any occasion,
including trumpet- blowing to herald a procession, sounding the
hour if a church had no clock; they had to train apprentices in
the skill of music, and provide this music, sacred, or secular,
wherever it was required. Like most other trades, they were
organised into guilds and were professionals. During the
fifteenth century in Germany, groups called mastersingers began
to emerge. They were amateur musicians, mostly having another
trade, who met together to promote the skills of song and
playing. They were interested in music as a social art, but took
it very seriously. In a way they were a middle-class group
copying the ideas of the aristocracy, taking inspiration from
the old masters that employed the minstrels.
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to this a further group were those trained as choristers and
then as singing men by the church, and we have all the possible
types of musician, which existed at this time. I do not know
whether there were any women Waits, though I would doubt it.
Women could, however be employed as musical servants, or they
could be a middle-class exponent of the art. Of course noble
ladies and gentlemen might add it to their list of
accomplishments along with dancing, shooting, riding and writing
a good hand. Some instruments were more suitable than others for
the various duties required of them. They were mainly divided
into high and low - not in pitch, but in function and status.
The courtly instruments might include the recorder, vielle (or
fiddle), psaltery, lute and harp. The loud outdoor
instruments were the shawm, sackbut, bagpipes, drums and
symphony (or hurdy gurdy). The same tunes may well have
been played by nobles and peasants alike, but with a
different style, instrumentation and emphasis, and similarly
with dances. Although only the courtly danced the
stately basse dance, all enjoyed round dances, even if in the
hall it looked graceful and in the hayfield like a bucolic romp.
Music after all, as now, was universal
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| DANCING
was
popular at all levels of society during the fifteenth century.
The royal courts danced basse dances, the nobility learned them
and copied the court styles; the peasants aped the nobility and
transformed them into their own versions. The peasants and
workers had their own brawl dances, which the nobility copied
and brought to them their own style. Thus dancing was universal.
It was a way to socialize for the higher classes; for a man to
find out whether a girl was clean-smelling and well brought up,
and for a girl to admire the knightly accomplishments of the man
along with his shooting, riding and jousting abilities. For the
working classes it offered welcome relief from the daily
drudgery, for example when the harvest was in. The only
information available before the fifteenth century is in
pictures, and in a few names such as carole, farandole,
saltarello, estampie.
During the fifteenth century several Italian dance
manuals appear. The problem is that there are almost as many
interpretations of these manuals as there are people attempting
to do the dances. I am sure this must have been true as much in
the fifteenth century as now. So if you learn one version of a
step do not forget that you may see different versions in use by
other re-enactment societies and taught by different dance
teachers. This does not matter.
Our
main source of information
on brawls is Orchesography by Arbeau, a manual printed in 1589. |
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later date is not significant as it was meant to be a
recollection of dances in the author's youth, which in their
time would have been passed down via the aural tradition. Arbeau
refers to many of the dances being played by a solo violin (a
bit late for our time) and a pipe and tabor (or recorder and
drum). Other suitable instruments are bagpipes, shawms and
hurdy-gurdy.
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Written
by Lord Burghs Musicians - Peter and Kathleen Berg
Peter
and Kathleen provide and research the music used at the Retinues events,
and they are also producing the St.George and the Dragon Mummers
Play. For more information about their musical activities, which
include; Medieval, Tudor, Elizabethan, and Stuart periods, as
well as training courses please e-mail the Chairman of the Retinue lord-burgh@ntlworl.com
and he will provide a contact for bookings and further information.
Master
Peter Bull
Peter
has been a member of the Retinue since we formed in 1998. Although he is
unable to be with Peter and Kathleen and support all of our events Peter
does join us when he can.
Peter continues to work for English Heritage, The National Trust, The
Tower of London and many other major venues across the UK, featuring
authentic music from Medieval to Elizabethan. We heartily recommend
Peter Bull and you can contact him at
26
Wellhouse Avenue,
Gledhow,
Leeds.
LS8 4BY
Tele; (0113) 2408250
email; peb2@supanet
Or
try Peters Website for more details at www.peterbull.com
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