A new songbook from the 1400s

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  • Bryn
    Banned
    • Mar 2007
    • 24688

    A new songbook from the 1400s

    Looking forward to this. I participated in a couple of Jane Alden's productions with Vocal Constructivists, She has sent me a round-robin with the following further information on the programme:

    You have shared my journey into 1960s experimentalism, and I look forward to further collaborations in this realm (VCs in July?). I am writing now to invite you to tune in for a programme that relates to my more established research area. I spent decades writing and thinking about five petite, deluxe, French songbooks, which were believed to be the only such manuscripts to survive from the 1460s-70s. Then in 2013 a related but hitherto unknown songbook was sold at auction in Brussels (as part of a job lot, for €3600). The book’s true value was quickly discovered, and it now resides in the Alamire Foundation in Leuven, known as the Leuven Chansonnier. I am deeply honored to be talking about—and playing recordings of music from--this manuscript on the BBC’s Early Music Show tomorrow (Sunday), at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001078m. If you are not able to listen live at 2pm GMT, don’t worry! It will be available worldwide for 30 days, so you should be able to listen directly from this (the Early Music Show) website, or from the BBC Radio 3 schedule here, https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl8t/2022/02/13.



    In gratitude to the mysterious chain of owners who looked after this manuscript for 550 years, and to those mentors and colleagues who introduced me to the group, and shaped and shared my journey with them, I offer ‘De plus en plus’ (as Binchois said, in an influential song from the 1420s).
  • AuntDaisy
    Host
    • Jun 2018
    • 1767

    #2
    Originally posted by Bryn View Post
    Looking forward to this. I participated in a couple of Jane Alden's productions with Vocal Constructivists, She has sent me a round-robin with the following further information on the programme:
    Thanks Bryn - looking forward to this as well.
    It's great to be able to see the actual manuscript, ornamentation and all - I enjoyed zooming in on the details. The drawings on the index are lovely - I though "A" was a microphone at first.

    (Another discovery - John Cage may have been inspired by page/leaf/recto "013_1r" )

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    • ardcarp
      Late member
      • Nov 2010
      • 11102

      #3
      Thanks SO much for posting this up AuntDaisy and Bryn. I feel ashamed, as an Early Music nut, not to have heard of the discovery of the Leuven Chansonnier. (I'm listening now, but missed the very beginning.)



      I love singing music of this vintage...very satisfying...given partners of similar interest.

      Last edited by ardcarp; 13-02-22, 17:51.

      Comment

      • oddoneout
        Full Member
        • Nov 2015
        • 9271

        #4
        A satisfying programme I thought, and the wide selection of performers (none of whom favoured what I think of as the "rustic" approach to singing such repertoire, an added bonus from my point of view) contributed to the enjoyment.
        What a delight as well to be able to view images of the book; I agree with Aunt Daisy's comment about the capital "A", although I got rather distracted from seeing the rest of the letter and what it was attached to because of it!

        Comment

        • ardcarp
          Late member
          • Nov 2010
          • 11102

          #5
          none of whom favoured what I think of as the "rustic" approach to singing
          Some sounded a tad more 'rustic' than others. One cannot know, of course, but it is tempting to think a more direct and somewhat coarse voice-production was used. I wonder if that applied to liturgical music as well?

          Comment

          • MickyD
            Full Member
            • Nov 2010
            • 4811

            #6
            Does anyone else remember the L'Oiseau Lyre box set of Le Chansonnier Cordiforme performed by The Consort of Musicke? I think I'm right in thinking it never made it to CD - another release for Eloquence, I hope.

            Comment

            • LeMartinPecheur
              Full Member
              • Apr 2007
              • 4717

              #7
              Originally posted by MickyD View Post
              Does anyone else remember the L'Oiseau Lyre box set of Le Chansonnier Cordiforme performed by The Consort of Musicke? I think I'm right in thinking it never made it to CD - another release for Eloquence, I hope.
              It has been on CD https://www.discogs.com/release/1478...ier-Cordiforme and I thought I had a copy. Not currently on shelves, hopefully in a removals box somewhere.
              I keep hitting the Escape key, but I'm still here!

              Comment

              • Mandryka
                Full Member
                • Feb 2021
                • 1560

                #8
                There is a wonderful ensemble of singers called Sollazzo Ensemble. I recommend everything they've done. They have recorded two CDs of music from the Leuven Chansonnier. The second has only just been released and I have hardly listened to it, but the first is most excellent.

                Comment

                • Mandryka
                  Full Member
                  • Feb 2021
                  • 1560

                  #9
                  Originally posted by MickyD View Post
                  Does anyone else remember the L'Oiseau Lyre box set of Le Chansonnier Cordiforme performed by The Consort of Musicke? I think I'm right in thinking it never made it to CD - another release for Eloquence, I hope.
                  It was transferred rather well on CD -- three CDs in fact.



                  There's another recording dedicated to the Chansonnier Cordiforme which I like very much too, by Ensemble Leones.

                  Comment

                  • Mandryka
                    Full Member
                    • Feb 2021
                    • 1560

                    #10
                    Originally posted by AuntDaisy View Post
                    (Another discovery - John Cage may have been inspired by page/leaf/recto "013_1r" )
                    What a tease you are!
                    Last edited by Mandryka; 14-02-22, 18:58.

                    Comment

                    • MickyD
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 4811

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Mandryka View Post
                      It was transferred rather well on CD -- three CDs in fact.



                      There's another recording dedicated to the Chansonnier Cordiforme which I like very much too, by Ensemble Leones.
                      Thank you...and released by Eloquence as I had hoped! Must get hold of a copy.

                      Comment

                      • AuntDaisy
                        Host
                        • Jun 2018
                        • 1767

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Mandryka View Post
                        Originally posted by AuntDaisy View Post
                        (Another discovery - John Cage may have been inspired by page/leaf/recto "013_1r" )
                        What a tease you are!
                        I was surprised at a lined, but empty page - when the rest had been so beautifully embellished.

                        I wish you hadn't mentioned the Sollazzo Ensemble - their Leuven Chansonnier CDs are far too tempting (& I've already spent this month's pocket money.)

                        Comment

                        • MickyD
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 4811

                          #13
                          Mentioning The Consort of Musicke jogged my memory of another Florilegium box set, Musicke of Sundrie Kindes, which I see has also been re-released by Eloquence.

                          Comment

                          • Mandryka
                            Full Member
                            • Feb 2021
                            • 1560

                            #14
                            Originally posted by AuntDaisy View Post
                            I was surprised at a lined, but empty page - when the rest had been so beautifully embellished.

                            I wish you hadn't mentioned the Sollazzo Ensemble - their Leuven Chansonnier CDs are far too tempting (& I've already spent this month's pocket money.)
                            Certainly the first CD is excellent - I need to give more time to the second.

                            Comment

                            • Nick Armstrong
                              Host
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 26572

                              #15
                              Originally posted by oddoneout View Post
                              A satisfying programme I thought, and the wide selection of performers (none of whom favoured what I think of as the "rustic" approach to singing such repertoire, an added bonus from my point of view) contributed to the enjoyment.
                              What a delight as well to be able to view images of the book; I agree with Aunt Daisy's comment about the capital "A", although I got rather distracted from seeing the rest of the letter and what it was attached to because of it!
                              Agreed - fascinating stuff, and haunting music. Great programme.
                              "...the isle is full of noises,
                              Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
                              Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
                              Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."

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