Words and Music from the Middle Ages

The sacred music ranges from plainsong to 4-voice motet. Whilst the secular music takes in dances, and songs with instrumental accompaniment. All the music is instantly attractive, whether serene or vigorous.

An important devotional aspect of religious life in the later Middle Ages was the cult of Mary, the Mother of Christ. Several of the pieces of music reflect this. These will be interspersed with some of the shorter surviving Marian poems which will be read in Middle English, recreating the strangely familiar yet somewhat elusive sound of English some six hundred ago. Longer items, poems, and extracts from fifteenth century correspondence providing first hand comment on the state of the country at the time - will be given in modernised English.

The performers, the narrator, reciter, and five
musicians - will wear examples of later medieval clothing.

See the cast from the 04/05/2002 production.

See the cast from the 23/11/2002 production.