There’s nothing like seeing a musical act for the first time and falling in love. That happened last night, I saw Alkemie, Medieval Musical Ensemble. Which of My Gentle Readers knew this is the kind of thing I love? Which of you love it too? The only reason I knew about it is that Fiona Gillespie is a sometimes member of the group. The question is how do I know Fiona? I have never seen her perform. She’s the sister of Genna Gillespie, a founding member of Burning Bridget Cleary and them I know well. I found her on Instagram, thought she was Genna, and one thing led to another. I have played her band The Chivalrous Crickets on Gord’s Gold. I have also seen a video of her playing medieval music with a medieval ensemble. I am not sure if it was Alkemie. Perhaps it was. So perhaps Alkemie is not totally new to me. Streaming concerts are a different beast, so it doesn’t count.
This was not just a concert, it was a program, I want to say programme, Verdant Medicine: Hildegard’s Resonant Apothecary.
Hildegard of Bingen (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis; c. 1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages. She is one of the best-known composers of sacred monophony, as well as the most recorded in modern history. She has been considered by many in Europe to be the founder of scientific natural history in Germany. – Wikipedia
They combined music, one by Hildegard with reading from her pharmaceutical writings and with appeals to the 5 senses. Each program came with one sense card. I had smell. At the appropriate time I scratched and sniffed it. Everything was performed on period instruments, harp, medieval flute, vielle, recorder, douçaine, voice, and assorted percussion. There was nothing ordinary or not wonderful. The ensemble was joined by Shira Kammen who the music that was not by Hildegard. Yes, it’s contemporary medieval music. O what a brave new world it is that has such artists in it.
The program was performed in an appropriate space for the works of an abbess, the beautiful Brick Presbyterian Church on the upper east side, close to the Guggenheim. I should have gotten more pictures of the Church. It was even easy for me to get to. As soon as the music started, I knew that going was the right decision. The music was divine in the literal sense, music to connect with god. The fact that god doesn’t exist does not change that one whit. Most operas are written to connect with fictional characters. I listened to Madama Butterfly yesterday and I felt Cio-Cio-san’s pain regardless of her lack of existing.
In my college, survey of western music course, the professor taught us that medieval music was all monophonic. I talked to the show’s creators Sian Ricketts and Tracy Cowart after the show, and they said that was a common misconception. The music is written in one line, but we know that’s not the way it was performed. I am a total sucker for polyphony. My professor got the details wrong, but he taught me to love polyphonic textures. I should post my pictures but that would require editing them. Back in the day I would have prepared pictures highlighting each instrument and player. I’m not the blogger I used to be. I hope that what I’ve lost in ambition and energy I’ve gained in writing skill.
After the show I went over to talk to Fiona. We have never met, and I was wearing a mask and she recognized me immediately. She’s a striking redhead that I knew would be there, so it was not surprising that I had recognized her, but I figured that I’d have to introduce myself and explain who I was to her. I can add recognizing masked people that she has never met to her other talents. I’m impressed just for remembering my name. She makes two kinds of music I have a passion for, Irish and medieval so she was already one of my people. After talking to Fiona, I introduced myself to Tracy and Sian as I always want to meet the creators of things that I love. Looking at their website I see they are working on Prog Rock. That’s a bit creepy; Facebook and Google cater what I see to my online history, Tracy and Sian apparently do it by reading my mind. I said creepy but it’s creepy I love. They too are kindred spirits and now my people.
Tonight, I’m going to the Met game, so I’ll have something to write about tomorrow too. I started writing this a little after 10 AM, that’s the schedule I like to be on. I went to bed early for me, 12:15 or so and woke up at 7:35 hours of sleep. That’s much better than I’ve been doing. Let’s see if I can stay on this schedule.
Here’s irony. I wrote that paragraph and fell asleep. Now to post this.
Wise Madness 