January 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to this month’s newsletter, just sneaking in (though maybe not for those of you in Australia and New Zealand - oops!) I’ve been holding off because I wanted to confirm a few things, and I’m still not quite there - but it was past time to get in touch with you all - so here I am.
This month’s newsletter covers:
the online festival
the new website
lots more on the September Festival at Bolton Castle
links to a couple of quality online courses
MMitD Online 2024: March 23rd and 24th
Wherever you are in the world, come and join us if you can for our annual Online event.
As usual, our Online Festival is a game of two halves:
Saturday evening (7-10pm UK time) is the annual online reception for Friends of Medieval Music in the Dales, open to Friends only - you’ll be getting the sign-up details very soon, my good Friends. Chat with some of this year’s concert artists, get a premiere of Trouvere’s Ludus Danielis video, and get fiendish with the traditional quiz!
Sunday (1pm-8pm UK time) is open to everyone - a look back at the 2023 festival, a vocal workshop, a visit to Dodd Lutherie and more. Tickets £10 (Friends £5) and the Box Office opens in two weeks - keep an eye out here.
So, welcome to the new website!
Please make a note of the new address: medievalmusicinthedales.org
The old site will end up pointing to this one, but it’s as well to make a note I think. Putting the new website together has certainly given me the opportunity to tidy up all the information and hopefully make things neater and clearer. I’m still working on it - notably the online store, which I will have finished by the next newsletter. As regards everything else, it is with any luck clear enough, but
MMitD 2024 - go here for information about all this year’s events, namely the Online Festival in March and the Study Day and Festival in September
FAQs - go here for loads of practical information about attending the September festival
Archive - go here for reviews of all the previous festivals, with images and video where available
Friends - go here if you want to sign up to the Friends of Medieval Music in the Dales (always a good idea!)
Volunteer at MMitD - go here if you are interested in being a volunteer Steward at this year’s September Festival, with all the fun and perks that offers!
The menu at the top also offers a link to the MMitD Facebook page, and a link to send an email.
Anyway, please do have a browse of the site! And the main thing, of course, is to take a look at the big reveal of this year’s Festival. You can take a look here, but I’ll run through it for you a bit right now.
This year’s Festival - September 13-15 2024 in and around Bolton Castle
CONCERTS
Our principal concerts are with Ensemble Pro Victoria, Eva Moreda, The Makejoys, Gaita, Joglaresa and Trouvere, and these take place in the afternoons at St Oswald’s Church. All six ‘acts’ are also appearing in the evening concerts - on Friday Gaita, Trouvere and The Makejoys and on Saturday Ensemble Pro Victoria, Eva Moreda and Joglaresa. In a break from tradition the evening concerts will be taking place in the Great Chamber of Bolton Castle
I’m really excited about this year’s concert lineup. As you will know, our theme is ‘Ludus: Magic, Mystery and Mirth’ and there is a strong emphasis on storytelling, fun and drama. It’s just amazing that we have performances of two medieval romances being performed: the Roman de Silence with Eva Moreda and the Roman de Fauvel with Gaita.
”Heldris de Cornuälle's Roman de Silence is one of the most intriguing pieces of medieval literature - telling the story of a girl brought up as a boy, and then entangled in a series of court intrigues,” says Eva Moreda, who will retell the Roman de Silence through repurposing and adapting French and English music roughly contemporary to the Roman, including trouvère music, English dances, and motets. It’s a story with themes that seem strikingly modern - nurture versus nature, the fluidity of gender roles, sound versus silence.
As for the Roman de Fauvel, this has to be one of the most original stories of the Middle Ages. It’s the satirical romance of the horse Fauvel who gets above his station and moves from the stable to the Great Hall, there to be fawned upon by princes and bishops. The vile Fauvel aspires to marry Dame Fortune but is palmed-off with Vain Glory, leading to a wild wedding night and the subsequent jousting of Vice and Virtue for the future of France. The tale is told in a delightful mix of instrumental music, verse and song. Chris Elmes of Gaita says, “The manuscript of the Roman de Fauvel preserves an astonishingly diverse musical mix of the Ars Antiqua of the 13th century and the Ars Nova of the 14th century, with material ranging from tender love songs and elegant motets to drinking songs and street cries." Expect Gaita’s usual stylish mix of music, storytelling and movement!
There is more drama from festival stalwarts Trouvere with the Ludus Danielis. This twelfth-century church play has long been part of the Trouvere repertoire, and over the last year Paul has been working (with my help!) to create Trouvere’s own edition of the text along with a recorded version, and a concert presentation. Paul and myself will be joined by our regular collaborator Richard de Winter as well as the brilliant Juliette Primrose to bring the wonderful tunes and great stories of the Ludus to life. Moreover, there will also be the opportunity to be part of the cast as Richard will be leading a workshop on some of the stirring processional conductus from the Ludus, and participants will be able to take part in the Friday evening concert alongside Trouvere.
Joglaresa will be familiar to many - part of the scene for many years under the leadership of the inspirational Belinda Sykes and now continuing her work. I confidently expect them to raise the roof of St Oswald’s with their programme Fierce Faith, Wild Wine, and Tall Tales. Here’s what they say…
“In true homeric tradition Joglaresa will perform for you an odyssey of fantastic stories at the top of their collective lungs. Whatever their sources, Joglaresa delight in a damn good story - whether from the heights of religious devotion (where the risen Lord is confused for a gardener), or in the depths of the mundane and everyday (where a repentant sinner didn’t quite choke to death on a murderous rabbit bone). With joyous ‘laude’, playful ‘cantigas’, and the opportunity to drink (in contrafactum, of course), this concert will fill your cup full of music like ”wild wine that sets the wisest to sing …to blurt out stories better never told.” (that’s the Homer bit!)
The Makejoys are a totally new ensemble, formed for their premier at Medieval Music in the Dales this year. As far as I can see it is a medieval supergroup, combining the formidable musical talents of Victoria Couper (familiar from Voice and Joglaresa), Juliette Primrose on vielle, and Holly Scarborough on flutes. Moreover, they will be joined by the totally thrilling Claudia Contortionist - and that’s where the Makejoy bit comes in. Many of you will have heard of Matilda Makejoy, the ‘saltatrix’ who entertained the court of Edwards I and II with her lively performances. The subject of acrobats in medieval entertainment has interested Juliette for some time - “what music might acrobats have performed to? Were they considered "circus/street-artists" as they often are today, or did they have a different status and role? Could we be including acrobats in our medieval performances?” So expect the unexpected - I seriously cannot wait for their performance of Matilda Returns!
Last but not least, it’s a privilege to welcome Ensemble Pro Victoria to Medieval Music in the Dales. I’m still waiting final confirmation of their programme, but it will beyond doubt be a magical and transporting journey into the mystery of the liturgy.
CHAMBER CONCERTS
Our Chamber Concerts, now in their third year, go from strength to strength. For those that don’t know, these are shorter format and altogether more relaxed and intimate concert performances in the wonderful setting of Queen Mary’s Chamber. This year we have five Chamber performances, from Steve Tyler, BIsarr, David Yardley, Edward Foster, and L’Herba Fresca. Expect some drama from L’Herba Fresca - a tip from an insider there…
WORKSHOPS, TALKS and TUITION
All of our principal concert performers are also providing workshops or talks. I’m particularly intrigued by Ensemble Pro Victoria’s offer of a Guidonian singing lesson - following hand gestures to learn and sing a medieval piece in the manner of the monks! There will also be the chance to sing and play with Joglaresa, with Eva Moreda, with Richard de Winter, and with Holly Scarborough (Build Your Own Estampie anyone?) Gaita are again offering their hugely popular dance workshops, concentrating this year on storytelling through dance. We have more workshops with some of the wonderful specialists who are becoming MMitD regulars - drumming and woodwind with Terry Mann, all kinds of instrumental fun with Jude Rees (including workshops for youngsters), recorders with Jim Parr, and singing with Leah Stuttard.
Claire Goodall has been coming to MMitD since forever and I’m really pleased to say she will be leading a great project this year. Over the course of three workshops, participants will put together an abbreviated version of one of the York Mystery Plays, to include music, dancing and acting. Amazing!
There are five talks at MMMitD 2024, all taking place in Queen Mary’s Chamber. Peter Bull will be presenting his survey of medieval instruments (and he’s got a few!), while David Yardley will be speaking about his unique approach to recreating the medieval sound. Holly Scarborough is guiding us through the history of the Nibelungenlied - it didn’t all start with Wagner, and this is a fascinating story of the evolution of a medieval tale. Juliette Primrose will be sharing her research into the role of acrobats alongside music in the middle ages, and finally I will be talking about the shift from oral to literate storytelling. Phew!
The 1-2-1 Tuition offering at the festival is something else that has grown quickly and there’s our widest ever selection of tuition this year, covering strings, woodwind, percussion and voice.
PLUS…
And that’s not even to mention the Instrument Makers Exhibition, the performances of Beowulf, the storytelling, the dance displays along with the chance to join in, the ever-wonderful Castle Stages, the unique tavern scene, the Sunday night party… Medieval Music in the Dales is a marvellous motley medley of delights whether it’s the finest in concert performance or a crazy improvised carole of an evening!
Finally, I could not recommend more highly the following two online courses by Stef Conner and Leah Stuttard respectively. These two are both ridiculously talented as performers and very good at leading workshops. I’ve been hanging out at Stef’s Song Hunt and it’s just brilliant. So, click the links to look these up:
Stef Conner’s Imaginary Song Hunt
Leah Stuttard’s Sing in the Spring
That’s all for now folks! See you next month,
Gill
Gill Page
Director, Medieval Music in the Dales
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