GAITA - Trobyll me the bordon ______________________________________________________________________ 1 Spero - Ebreo (PnG), arr. Chris Elmes 2 Se no dormi ascholta dona - Chris Elmes for choreography by Ebreo (Fl.) 3 Rostibolli - Ebreo (PnA), arr. Chris Elmes 4 Sobria - Domenico, arr. Chris Elmes 5 Petite rose - Chris Elmes for choreography by Ebreo (PnA) 6 Bassadanza (Re di Spagna) - Cornazano tenor, arr. Chris Elmes 7 Marchesana - Ebreo (PnA), arr. Chris Elmes 8 Ellas, la fille Guillemin - Anon, Montecassino 871 9 Belfiori - Domenico, arr. Cait Webb 10 Giove - Ebreo (PnG), arr. Chris Elmes 11 La Fortuna - Chris Elmes for choreography by Ebreo (NYp) 12 Santomera (Gianzometa †) - Chris Elmes for choreography by Ebreo (NYp) 13 Amoroso isghardo - Chris Elmes for choreography by Ebreo (NYp) 14 Princitore - Chris Elmes for Gresley choreography 15 Armynn - Chris Elmes for Gresley choreography 16 Trobyll me the bordon - Gresley ms, ‘Northumberland’, arr. Cait Webb 17 Talbot - Gresley ms, arr. Chris Elmes 18 Orynge - Chris Elmes for Gresley choreography 19 Grene gynger - Chris Elmes for Gresley choreography 20 Baxa del Caballero - Tenor by Andrew Casson, arr. Chris Elmes Note † - The title of 'Santomera' is not clear in the manuscript so this dance is sometimes known as 'Gianzometa'. ______________________________________________________________________ GMMCD03 © 2013 Gaita Medieval Music Made in the UK ______________________________________________________________________ Cait Webb: - Soprano shawm (1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 20) - Gothic bray harp (2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16) - Bagpipes in G (5, 15) - Dance reconstructions Chris Elmes: - Medieval lute (2, 4, 11, 13, 19) - Alto shawm (1, 8, 20) - Bagpipes in D (12, 18) - Bagpipes in G (6) - Citole (15) with Lizzie Gutteridge: - Alto shawm (3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20) - Soprano shawm (1, 17) - Bagpipes in G (5) - Medieval fiddle (13, 19) Ruth Pollitt: - Alto shawm (3, 10, 14, 17) Theodora Hidalgo: - Medieval viol (7) The quintessential dance band of the 15th century was composed of three loud instruments: three shawms (a soprano and two altos); two shawms and a brass instrument (a slide trumpet or sackbut); or sometimes a combination of shawms and bagpipes. However, nearly all surviving notated dance music of the period is in the form of a single line ‘tenor’. Musicians were expected to arrange or improvise the three part texture, by adding a superius (upper part) and a contra tenor (usually in the same range as the tenor) using techniques such as gymels and the related fauxbourdon and faburden styles of harmonisation. For more intimate settings, the three part music was played most often on lute and harp, with the lute playing the superius and the harp the tenor and contratenor. Tracks on this CD that have been arranged in this manner from the original source tunes include Spero, Rostibolli, Re di Spagna, Giove, Talbot (for loud instruments) and Sobria and Marchesana (the latter with viol rather than lute for the superius). Some dances were choreographed to well-known tunes, and the track Ellas, la fille Guillemin is one example where the original three part chanson still survives, which we play here on three shawms. For the tunes Belfiori and Northumberland (‘Trobyll me the bordon’) a simpler arrangement for solo bray harp of the single line in the manuscript has been adopted. Many of the dance manuals provide choreographies but not music, and even those containing music have some dance descriptions without it. For the dances Se no dormi, Petite Rose, La Fortuna, Santomera and Amoroso Isghardo from the Ebreo manuscripts (Italy, second half of 15th century), and for Princitore, Armynn, Orynge and Grene Gynger from the Gresley manuscript (Derbyshire, late 15th C) we have composed new pieces, using period models. The final track, Baxa del Caballero, is a double reconstruction, as the tenor has been written in a characteristic style (and arranged in three parts) to fit a new bassedance devised (somewhat tongue in cheek) according to the ‘rules’ provided in the Burgundian sources of the late 15th century. Thanks to the members of the Edinburgh Friday night dance group for their extensive testing and helpful suggestions regarding the choreographies and arrangements,and to Tembu Rongong for providing the recording venue. ___________________________________________________________________ Recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Elmes Jan 2011 & Jan 2013 Cover Artwork by Cait Webb Layout by Chris Elmes All artwork, text, recording & arrangements Copyright Gaita Medieval Music 2013