Lost Sounds: EMS 17 January

[doversoul1]

Clare Salaman on forgotten instruments which were once part of everyday musical life.
Clare considers why instruments which were once part of musical life - such as the vielle, the bray harp, the hurdy gurdy and the viola organista - are now rarely heard. Some were particularly suited to certain styles of music and unable to keep up when fashions changed. Others, while astonishing, intriguing and even beautiful in their design proved totally impractical for everyday use. Clare chooses recordings of some of these lost instruments, which create sounds which are very rarely heard today
(R)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04sv2wk

[ardcarp]

I've just listened to this. A great programme, extremely well presented, with explanations I could understand about the technical aspects of the instruments. I liked her distinction between outdoor and indoor instruments, and her love of the (deliberate) buzz and rattle which some produce. For me the duet for two hurdy-gurdies was very beautiful...not what you would expect at all. Other things of note were:

- a Biber Rosary Sonata with added jews' harp and percussion plus some overtone singing. The idea sounds terrible, but definitely not!

- Barny Brown playing the triple pipe (i.e. one drone and two chanters) with the Choir of Gonville and Caius (where Barny was incidentally a Choral Scholar a while ago)

[mangerton]

I've just listened to this. A great programme, extremely well presented, with explanations I could understand about the technical aspects of the instruments. I liked her distinction between outdoor and indoor instruments, and her love of the (deliberate) buzz and rattle which some produce. For me the duet for two hurdy-gurdies was very beautiful...not what you would expect at all. Other things of note were:

- a Biber Rosary Sonata with added jews' harp and percussion plus some overtone singing. The idea sounds terrible, but definitely not!

- Barny Brown playing the triple pipe (i.e. one drone and two chanters) with the Choir of Gonville and Caius (where Barny was incidentally a Choral Scholar a while ago)

I'm listening to this now, and thoroughly enjoying it. I would look out my rauschpfeife, but my neighbours might object!

[ardcarp]

.....and keep your nakers well under control too.