Renaissance music - the music of Twelfth Night!

I love music. Music of all kinds. I'd venture to say that not many people my age listen to many classic oldies (Mcguire Sisters, Frank Sinatra, Franki Valli, etc). I'd venture to say that even fewer have taken an interest in Renaissance music! Well, I've had the benefit of listening to a group known as The New World Renaissance band. They have an incredible array of music that is authentic to the Renaissance period. Their main singer, Owain Phyfe, has a bit of a cult following in the Renaissance fair arena. I've grown up hearing my dad play their records, and because of that I developed an early appreciation for this style of music. I'd encourage you to listen to the clip below to get a taste of their music yourself!

 

I want to give the class a better idea of what Renaissance music was, and what distinguishes it from other styles. I went and read this article. Here is a summary of what I found!

THE INSTRUMENTS:

One of the main string instruments of the Renaissance era was the lute. According to Wikipedia, "

Medieval lutes were 4- or 5-course instruments, plucked using a quill as a plectrum. There were several sizes, and by the end of the Renaissance, seven different sizes (up to the great octave bass) are documented. Song accompaniment was probably the lute's primary function in the Middle Ages, but very little music securely attributable to the lute survives from the era before 1500. Medieval and early-Renaissance song accompaniments were probably mostly improvised, hence the lack of written records. In the last few decades of the 15th century, in order to play Renaissance polyphony on a single instrument, lutenists gradually abandoned the quill in favor of plucking the instrument with the fingertips. The number of courses grew to six and beyond. The lute was the premier solo instrument of the 16th century, but continued to be used to accompany singers as well.

Read more about the lute here.

One of the main percussion instruments was the Tambourine. According to Wikipedia, "In the early ages the tambourine was originally a frame drum without the jingles attached to the side. This instrument soon evolved and took on the name of the timbrel during the medieval crusades, at which time it acquired the jingles. The tambourine was often found with a single skin, as it made it easy for a dancer to play. The skin that surrounds the frame is called the vellum, and produces the beat by striking the surface with the knuckles, fingertips, or hand. It could also be played by shaking the instrument, allowing the tambourine's jingles to "clank" and "jingle"."

 

A shawm was one of the woodwind instruments of the Renaissance day. According to Wikipedia,  "A typical oriental shawm is keyless and is about a foot long with seven finger holes and a thumb hole. The pipes were also most commonly made of wood and many of them had carvings and decorations on them. It was the most popular double reed instrument of the renaissance period; it was commonly used in the streets with drums and trumpets because of its brilliant, piercing, and often deafening sound. To play the shawm a person puts the entire reed in their mouth, puffs out their cheeks, and blows into the pipe whilst breathing through their nose."

  

 THE MUSICAL STYLE:

According to this website, here are the main characteristics of Renaissance music!

1. Music still based on modes, but gradually more accidentals creep in.
2. Richer texture in four or more parts. Bass part is added below the tenor.
3. Blending rather than contrasting strands in the musical texture.
4. Harmony. Greater concern with the flow and progression of chords.
5. Church music. Some pieces were intended for 'a cappella' performance. Mainly contrapuntal. Lots of imitation. Some church music was accompanied by instruments - for example polychoral pieces in antiphonal style (Antiphonal - Questions and Answers, Stereo Effect).
6. Secular music (none-religious music. Sacred music is to do with the church) There was lots of vocal pieces and dances, and lots of instrumental pieces (However a lot of the instrumentals were in a vocal style, but sonic were suited to instruments. Vocal music was by far the more important.)
7. The characteristic timbres of Renaissance musical instruments - many forming families.

So basically, there is a quick little overview. Music obviously plays a role in the Twelfth Night play; it opens and ends with song. Hopefully this can help you get a better idea of what that type of music may have been like!