h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This "new conversation" is new to me. I will abstain from too much conversing until I find out what I'm doing. However, anyone is welcome to be a mentor at this point. Medieval Man.

I see you've been greeted by a couple of people already. But when I see someone who lists one of their occupations as choir director, I cannot pass up the opportunity to stop by & say hello...

& I read your post on Orlando di Lasso... have you considered writing an entry on him? or anyone else, for that matter?

Joanna (wishing she'd sung more madrigals, but happy with Magnificat & Nunc dimmitis settings for the time being)

Dear Joanna,

Thanks for your welcome. The gracious responses I've received in just a few hours' time have been very pleasant indeed, yours included.

There's nothing (for a singer and choral man like myself) quite like singing 16th century madrigals, especially the English and Italian. I am blessed with a small but powerfully select chamber choir at my church. Of our mere 15 singers, ten of my people are pros, and at least one per section is what is know in the trade as a monster, meaning they can do virtually anything commanded of them. I always sing with my choir and madrigal singers as I direct them (usually facing outward with them to the audience), acting as my own bass-baritone section leader.

In our big ancient concerts, the first weekend of every June, I bring in a half dozen of my early music friends who also play ancient instruments. When this "consort," which is what an ensemble of early instruments is called, gets together, the combined historical instruments present include the following:

Renaissance and baroque recorders: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass and great (contra) bass; krummhorns: soprano to great bass; kortholts, violas da gamba: treble, tenor and bass (familiarly called viols); shawms, sackbuts, bagpipes, lute, cornamusen, rankett, theorbo, harpsichord, organ, and ancient hand percussion instruments.

These period instruments (the words: period, early, historical and ancient are all synonymous when referring to instruments before the deaths of Bach and Handel in the mid-18th century) accompany the madrigals and the chamber choir in most of our singing, doubling the parts as was common practice in those eras. When the choir or madrigal group is singing, I am likewise singing, and my friends supply the instrumental doublings. But when we settle down to an instrumental special, I join the consort, and play the instruments mentioned above.

Yes, the occupation of choir director is not one you hear bandied about every day. It is half of my total pursuits. The other half is as an itinerate musician, specializing in the ancient instruments, of which I play about 30. I also play some modern instruments including flute and guitar.

This is far more than you ever wanted to know about me, the world of ancient music, and the profession of a church music director. I apologize for the verbosity. My next message will necessarily be terse to atone for this gabby sin. Medieval Man

No no its not more than I wanted to know- I find music and anything to do with music fascinating & I love to hear about it.
A friend of mine used to play viol I guess it was the treble while we were in secondary school. I liked the timbre... ...but thats as near as I've been allowed to a period instrument, although I do know someone who claims to play baroque 'cello, not that I've ever seen him at it, though.

I did some English madrigals at sixth-form college, they took a little time to grow on me but now I'd like to sing some more. My Chapel choir at uni spends its time singing various religious music, which then if we're lucky we get to go and sing at evensong in various cathedrals around and about... this year Durham, Ripon, York Minster & Worcester...


There now I guess we're even. & I play flute too, I ought to do some practice...