Actually, Kassia (also known as Saint Kassia of the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire) is known as the first female composer we know by name. I love both the music of both Kassia and Hildegard von Bingen as well.

That's pretty impressive that they played most of the music by ear. They must have had good hearing for tones.

My intro to medieval and Renaissance music was accidentally getting to see David Munrow performing in a church in Sweden when I was 9, and I was hooked for life. His interpretations may not always be very orthodox, but his energy and lilt are very captivating. Well worth a listen.

Thanks for the tips! Here are my top 5 medieval songs that I recommend to learn: - Stella Splendens - Douce Dame Jolie - Quand Je Bois Du Vin Clairet - Chanterai Por Mon Corage - A Que Por Mui Gran Fremosura

Thank You, Sarah! I'd like to add about repertoire - it's Cantigas de Santa Maria, 13th century. A huge and beautiful collection of notated music (427 pieces). It was born in Spain, court of king Alfonso el Sabio. As for me the best translation into contemporary notation belongs to Chris Elmes's performance edition and the most "archeological" performances are made by Eduardo Paniagua and his ensemble.

That “jumpy first finger” is a bagpipe grace note. Since there’s no embouchure involved in playing the pipes, all articulation is achieved this way. See grace, grip, throw, taorluath, lemluath, etc. These are all traditional ways of separating notes, sometimes in spectacular fashion! They account for all the “blips” and “burbles” that characterize that highland sound.

Hello Sarah, as others have pointed out, you look positively radiant in this video and I'm happy about it. Medieval music is a hugely interesting topic and I'm glad you have made a video about it in your "usual" informative and entertaining way. I'm not sure of course, but I believe that the lack of instrumental music is due to the fact that it was primarily secular music destined to entertain. I can imagine rovering bands of musicians playing popular tunes at weddings and village holidays. They probably weren't literate and played by ear and would have left nothing about the material they played. On the other hand the church used vocal music only and there might have been several clerics noting the most important pieces down so we have a lot of Gregorian and poliphony. When we think about medieval music, we usually begin with Gregorian chants. Always the supporter of lost causes, I'd love to get an idea of the music played in the first millemnium. It is bound to have sounded a lot like the music of the Romans gradually transforming in what we are used to listen when we think about medieval. The influence of the invading Germanic and Slavic people must have had an influence... I'm hugely curious, but until time travel is invented we will now little to nothing about it. Not that we are lacking the material, by the way: the little we have is enough for a lifetime of playing.

I seriously love this channel, like the knowledge because of the passion you have inspires me ♡

That medieval sound is really nice! A bit louder but still a very round sound. Just gorgeous.

Though i am a pianist, i always love people who can play the recorders. It is so refreshing to listen to and for me, when i listen to it, it reminds me of the past, of all the beautiful greenery, and how wonderful life is with God given gifts.

Im teaching myself how to play the recorder for a month now and thanks to your videos I am improving so much! thanks a lot, you're a wonderful teacher :)

You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this!!!!

Mediaeval baebes! OMG so much GOOOOOOD arrangements, recorders and all sorts of 'mediaeval-esque' sounding instruments. And beautiful singing too. I'm new to your channel but I think your love for music just radiates and you have totally inspired me to think about the recorder in a new light again :D

Sarah, I've just found your Intro to Medieval Music - EXCELLENT! However, I'm just beginning to learn the instrument, but I'm motivated to learn so I can play some of the music I love. Jim

I LOVE your channel!!! I am exploring Medieval music at the moment with my studio and so far have fallen madly in love with the Cantigas from Spain especially 353 and 100. There is also a lovely book of medieval renaissance music called Cantigas Renaissance Festival Favorites for All Instruments with Guitar Chords...that one doesn’t have everything in its original form...for example, things being in A Dorian vs D Dorian. Anyway, thank you for posting this, going to check those things you mentioned out immediately🙌🎻🥰

She is very enthusiastic! People are moved by emotions!!!! Congratulations for your encouraging work!

Thank you for posting this video. Medieval history is one of my biggest interests, and I chose to (try) to play the recorder partly because it's a medieval instrument.

You are the cutest musician ever! 😆 You get so passionate about music. I don't play any instrument at all, but you are a joy to watch. Thank you!

Ah. My favourite recorder era... 🤩 Thank you for all the links!!

I've really been wanting to get involved in music. I decided on recorder and when I came across this video I knew where I wanted to be. I'll probably end up with a plastic Alto recorder. The wood one you show in this video looks amazing but it's way out of my price range. I've already found the material and I have a lot to learn. It's going to be a wonderful journey I just want to say thank you for making this video it's changed my life. I realize there's a lot of basics to learn before you can even get to playing songs but at least I know now the area I want to go the direction I want. Sorry for long-windedness. Thank you again so much

Beautiful, beautiful lesson. Thanks for posting!

All thru our buikan existence, our. 5. Senses were in alert mode.The sounds were everywhere from ocean waves, wind blowing ,. Storm sleet & rain. Music. Brings. Memories as well.

Thank you so much for your videos and content. You have inspired me. I'm a 52-year-old male I've never played recorder but maybe for five minutes as a kid.

Thank You so much!! I've been waiting for this one.

4:41 I wasn't prepared to hear you speak catalan, loved it! :) Great videos btw. Thanks a lot!

i love this video!! thankyou !!

Beatifully informative you made my evening!

Absolutely lovely

Loved the video 😊. Beautiful music....Excited to hear talk of your album !! I’m keenly interested in that for sure!

That whistle is gorgeous!

Thank you. I have loads of CDs of medieval music, but you've pointed me to some more. I didn't even know about the collection from Hawthorne's Music, so I'm going to order it.

I recently have bought at an historical fair a medieval-style six-holed fipple flute, whose structure is very close to that of an early recorder, and it's interesting to compare it with my Baroque-style recorders.

It is actually listening to medieval music and hearing recorders in it that got me to really appreciate the instrument. For example, here on KZfaq there is a gorgeous instrumental recording of the virelai "E, Dame Jolie" (not to be mistaken with Machaut's "Douce Dame Jolie"!) and it has some sections with beautiful recorder harmonies.

😍😍😍😂😂Te adoré cuando saliste ejemplificando el organum. Tú x 2! Hahaha! Simplemente maravillosa!

Love hearing you talk about music history and it's great to hear some women's names here. :D

I was actually considering picking up the recorder specifically for medieval music so I could record multiple parts using strings and percussion as well. Thank you for the insights! I have been playing Stella Splendens and Ja nus hons pris and thought they would sound great with a recorder.

Love this video, thanks Sarah!

I am an amateur flute player. I enjoy playing "Douce Dame Jolie" by Mr. Marchaud both in my concert flute and in my Yamaha YRF-21 Fife (it has an interesting sound quality on its own). Greetings!!!

You are great, thanks for the amazing work you are doing. Great and interesting channel

there are also the "cantigas de santa maria" a set of XIII century galaico-portuguese vocal music that fit very good on a recorder

So amazingggg you are so great at playing it pls upload more of playing those instruments thanksss

Scaramella from David Munro is phantastic. I am a folkdance teachter and we dance besides international folkdances also Middle age courtdanses and barok dances. I love medieval music.

Hi Sarah ! I just discovered your channel as I was looking for stuff about the Recorder ! And I'm actually pretty glad i found it ! BUT ! (as always), in life i'm a student, in France, and I study Musicology... Especially medieval music ! So i'm quite happy to find that kind of stuff haha. I can be wrong, but this could be interesting to learn : 1. The gregorian chant : be careful about that, it may have been named affter the Pope Gregory the 1st, but we're not sure about that (i'm NOT talking about the fact that, contrary to what people use to think, he absolutely didn't write this because he died in like 600 AD if i have a good memory, and the fist gregorians are from like 750 AD (not so sure about the years but i'd bet we're quite close) but i just wanted to be careful about it). Indeed, if we now are able to indentfy it and define it pretty well, there are like a mountain of things that we don't know. It's a repertory such as Roman chant, Anglican chant, Florantin chant, etc (i only know names of the repertories in french, sorryyyyy), and today, there may be some "gregorian" that are actually NOT gregorian, if you see what i mean. We use the term "gregorian" for chant that could be Roman. It's pretty like (and i bet you'll know this exemple), when people use the term "classical music" for like... Bach, or Chopin. That makes me tilt a bit hahaha 2. It's not Guillaume Machaut but Guillaume DE Machaut ("de" means "from"). Indeed, he was not a noble guys, and even rather a poor, a plebeian, a guy from the people. And he came from a place called Machaut, that's it haha ! At the end of his life, he used to consider himeself like... almost a god, a supreme guy. That joins the idea that fist emerged in the text of Petrarch, on the top of the Mont Ventoux, in France. That's one of the most important change in history of christianism. I'm not sure to explain it well, but human start to feel things as they came to him, and not as God gave to him, you know ? That's the roots of Humanism, where human have a different place that he used to have, compared to God. That's also the emergency of the composer as a composer. Before that, music was composed, just composed. After that, it was composed BY a composer. Guillaume de Machaut totally got that, and considered himself like the best composer of all time. Thanks for reading, and don't hesitate to correct me if what i said is like crap, i only wish for the truth ! :) Sorry too if i did some english mistakes, i'm French and not totally at ease with english :) Great vids btw, really, they are cool and nice to watch ! :D

Well, thank you ever so much! Great video!!

You bring life to these pieces with your playing. I'm sure they did not sound as beautiful originally.

Wow, thanks for the Emily Askew tip! Being a big folk/trad fan as well as a recorder player I am thrilled to find out that the band includes Jamie Roberts from Gilmore & Roberts and that Emily was part of the Elizabethan Sessions (another great, great album btw) AND the Mediaeval Babes! Had a quick listen just now and I LOVE it! Just the sound I aim for!

It's funny, I happened to learn about this just now because I will have my last exam today from this topic. :D thank you it will be much easier to memorize everything because of your video =^^=

Excellent info! Would it be possible to make one particular piece where you could show the style and embellishments one could use while playing medieval music with a recorder?

Loving your unstoppable enthusiasm Sarah, thanks for this video. Could I please ask you if there are any kind of “rules” or “standards” where Harmony is concerned, Anything that distinguishes Medeaval Harmony from modern harmony? Many Thanks.

I have a collection of French music all from Codex 884 in the Bibliotheque Nationale. German edition by Noetzel edition, 'Zum Tanze aufgespielt'. From this codex you played 'La sexte estampie real'. Wonderful music.

Lately I've been playing a song that I see commonly being called saltarello III or salve Regina (at the end of the video you actually play it, I wrote before that). And Ecco la primavera. Both Italian songs. Play them both by ear. And 'cantigas de santa Maria' were actually my introduction to recorder

Fans seeking modern take on medieval musical concepts should check out the genre called Dungeon Synth. As the name suggests, it's synthesizer-based music that fuses dark ambient and pseudo-medieval music using synthesized instruments. Sometimes it ends up sounding like early RPG video game music, like something you'd hear in a fantasy RPG in the 80s. Aesthetically, the concepts range from medieval and fantasy themes, to the extreme of the black metal world (corpse paint + casio keyboards) Artist examples: Fief, Old Tower, Sequestered Keep, Lord Lovidicus, Aufhocker, Kobold, Chaucerian Myth, Old Glow.

4:02 wow I've never heard this instrument before, but the low sound and the vibrato really appeals 😲 maybe a tutorial of it would be a nice video idea? Love your channel btw (:

Sarah: Search for a codex. WH40K fanboys: Do not interpret it too narrowly...

The Rafi tenor recorder by Francesco Li Virghi seems to be unique, I like the sound! Can you make a review or demo video for it? Thanks!

Sarah, as a classical bohem flute player your channel is SO interesting to me!

Thank you for the tip about the excellent Alchemy Album by the Emily Askew Band, I was not aware of them.

OMG that "ma fin est mon commencement" thing sounds too cool. Thanks for mentioning it! I definitely like Hildegard's music, which can be found online at the International Society of Hildegard von Bingen Studies under "Music." (It's in something like modern notation, which I like although I do TRY to play from her codices as well.) I'm currently working on the "Songs to Mary." I use a 19th century 6-key flute in D to play it, and adore it to pieces. It does work on a keyless as well, if you play it in the flute's natural minor. If you want to play it on her clefs, you'll need a flute in C or F to do it; most women sing her stuff on the F clef, so that's nice since it's a smaller flute, and a keyless in F won't set you back too much. Someday I'd also love to set some of Amy Powell's poetry to music using chant notation, which is a bit weird but so am I so it all fits, I guess.

This is a fantastic explanation of medieval music for the recorder. Thank you very much for dedicating the time to go over the recommendations, and for the pointers to the historical context. I was wondering: would you consider going through Jacob van Eyck's work in one of your videos, more specifically to Der Fluyten Lust-hof?

stuff by john dowland is amazing! thanks for the recommendations

I love that low whistle!!!

@Sarah Jeffery / Team Recorder Great video, thanks! Which recorder would you recommend to a total beginner who got interested into the instrument only to play medieval music? thanks a lot!

I LOVE RECORDER

I love that Mollenhauer Dream alto!

Your videos and knowledge are incredible! I am learning so much from them. I am teaching myself to play tenor recorder.i play piano and can already read music. I am having a terrible problem with the pinkie finger of my left hand sticking out. I've tried scales, reminding myself about it, even putting tape loosely from my pinkie to my ring finger. I am left handed, so I don't know if that's the source of my problem. Are there any recommendations as to how to deal with this problem? I've looked everywhere online for answers.

Wonderful!

I love your organum, Sarah 😆

Such content! Love these videos and this channel. Day by day I learn so much more from your channel

No dislikes. Well done Sarah!!

It's actually Saint Hildegard von Bingen: abbess, artist, author, composer, Catholic mystic, pharmacist, poet, preacher, theologian and Doctor of the Church. I really ought to play her compositions since she received them from God and understood them because only a woman could understand the harmomy. Even if you're not Catholic, damn what a thing to claim then, how beautiful those compositions must be!

Very nice intro :) I am pleased to have just discovered your videos! Since so much medieval music is vocal, you can also check out the Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) - lots of medieval and renaissance music that can easily be appropriated for recorder.

Great video sarah! Forgive me for asking but could you make a video talking about the other medieval instruments? Again, Great Video!

I piece I like to play is "Tourdion". Its a French piece I believe. Have not found notation of it but easy to play by ear.

I'm getting a medieval recorder from Terry man in UK. What would be a good book for medieval tunes for 2 parts? I have a harmony ocarina that plays 2 parts. Love ancient music.

Why didn't I know you 8 years ago? It would help me so much then! Hahaha, it helps now either, thank you!

The wild moment you realize Saltarelo on Dead Can Dance’s Aeon album is hundreds of years old

Thanks for the video! I'm admirer of medieval music. First, I wanted to play Armenian Duduk or Tin Whistle but these are really expensive and I'm not sure if I can play them; therefore, I bought recorder because of cheapness. Here is the my question, if I can play recorder, can I become successful playing the others? (I do not expect a certain answer, however I'm curious about this.)

I play classical flute, but I love medieval, Indian, country. Hard question I know, but do you have any recommendations for the key and recorder? . I’m near northumberland and love the pipes. Again what would you look out for. I can play by ear so specific music isn’t an issue. Thankyou in advance. Steve

Hi, Sarah! What's the name of the brown recorder? Can you tell me where to buy it over the Internet? And preferably a simpler and cheaper model! Thanks a lot! God bless you! And The King too!

Where would you recommend buying medieval instruments? Etsy? Thank you.

I love Saltarello!!!! I sugest you guys to listen to it from Corvus Corax

Awesome video :) I will learn all song haha i would like to... :D

So helpfull great video👍i have my music theory mock exam next week (a serious one😬) i got my practical mark back and i got an A nearly and A* i really hope i match my mark on this paper😂

Hi sarah! Would you consider making a video on how to read medieval sheet music

A couple of artists you can check out (both of these are available on Spotify) Medæval Bæbes - They cover medieval tunes, and I think they write their own in that style as well. I partly grew up on this stuff :) Pontir - A Russian artist I discovered recently. He’s only got one album but it’s great. Properly authentic sounding stuff.

Are there any pieces for harp and recorder?

Could you do a piece on the modes please?

Hey Sarah I just Subscribed and I was wondering how to play a Re kruis on a Soprano German fingering recorder. Thank you Ps': I'm Belgian

Hello Sarah, Is there a specific recorder do you need to play these songs? I have 0 experience in recorders, But I found a few on local online shop that is affordable. I think it's good for hobby since it's not too loud, and Ive been really liking the tunes from fantasy rpgs. Does the material matter? like should it be made out of wood etc? what's the difference of a flute and a recorder? also I thought it was small.

Do a video on alternative fingerings for trills.

Sarah where can i purchase a tenor recorder like the one you had in this video. the li virghi one

Wonderful

Please tell me where to find the score for Tre Fontana!

what do you think about 18th century baroque clarinets ?

brava, well done!

Could you please have a video about French Baroque Music?! Ornamentation, Composers, Pieces to play, the voice flute, other stuff... I would really love it if you could talk about it

I always wanted to play medieval music so I can’t wait to get started. You should totally try to play folk metal! One of the songs i would totally recommend is an instrumental is „ eluveitie - giamonios“

Thank you!

A few of music historian are investigating a lot of folk songs in the countrysides because there is evidence that those places might preserve some of the old traditional songs that have been passed down

Hi Sarah, can I ask something? I've always loved the sond of the low whistles and I really wanted to learn. Unfortunally it's not known where I live, you can't find it to buyin any stores and there's no teacher or course for it. But there are for recorders. I also rly like the song of the alto and tenor and I saw your video and decided to go with the Alto. Do you think it's a good idea for me to start learning the alto recorder with a teacher and all and later try to learn a low whistle by myself? Or it would make it more difficult to learn it later?