On Saturday, Dan and I had a musical doubleheader involving four acts. It’s good to be back to being myself. It started when I heard that Alkemie Medieval Musical Ensemble was playing. I saw them once before and loved them. This is so much up my alley. The problem is that I have no idea which of my friends would like this other than Megan who I haven’t seen in over 20 years and lives in Baltimore. I’m going to write about them and if your interest is piqued let me know. Who are my early music friends? As I didn’t know I asked on Facebook who wanted to join me and Dan said he did. I would have gone alone but it’s even better with a friend. After we made those plans, he asked if I wanted to see Maeve Gilchrist that night. Of course, I want to see Maeve. When I went to get my tickets, I saw it was not just Maeve, it was part of an APAP showcase and Kittel and Co. was also on the bill. There was a third act that neither of us knew, ETHEL, and I don’t mean Mertz.
Dan and I met at the beautiful Brick Presbyterian Church on the Upper East Side, a perfect venue for Medieval Music. We got there early and snagged seats down front on the aisle. They don’t perform from a stage so it’s important to not be behind people when you hear music there if you want to see. Alkemie was joined by Chapterhouse. I was going to tell you who was in the band and what they played but I don’t have to. I can show you the program.
There was no part of this show that wasn’t amazing. I’d have fun just looking at the instruments.
The music was otherworldly. In films they fake Medieval Music, this is the real thing on period instruments. I had qualms about there being a storyteller. I shouldn’t have. Sarah Walker looked the part of a Queen watching her court musicians. When she spoke, it was captivating and regal. As the program title says these were all Fables by Marie de France. You can tell she was French as the fable of the dog and the bone became the dog with the cheese. Only in France would people think of a dog eating cheese. It was probably a snob about it being the locally produced cheese which it thought better than all others.
One reason I love this music is that I’m a sucker for polyphony; I can thank for first college music professor for that. I had never even heard the word before I took his class. Those various weird instruments and the beautiful singing voices each did their own thing. I never heard Sumer is Icumen In as a round before. The various melody lines draw visual paths in my imagination. Few things can take me out of the real world with such ease.
I remember Sian, Ben, and Tracy’s beautiful voices from the last time I saw them. Peter Walker of Chapter House took me by surprise. He was playing hümmelchen (a German bagpipe), bladderpipes, check the picture above, smallpipes, and gaita (Iberian bagpipe), most of the evening. Those all preclude his singing. Then out of nowhere he comes out with a deep resonant baritone. I should know if he’s married to Sarah Walker the storyteller as I talked to both of them, but I never asked. I do know that he’s in the US Army Choir. One of the members of this hippie ensemble is a soldier. Never judge people by your expectations. I just checked, they are husband and wife.
The final song Au rem Pascor included audience participation in the refrain. For a half hour after the show, I was totally earwormed with it. Then it was expelled by my brain. I hate when that happens. They were all nonsense French words, but I loved it and want it back. I have the words and music from the notebook. If I sat at the piano maybe I could get it back. It’s a simple melody with a narrow range, perfect for me.
Sure, I could describe the music more but why should I? I can play you some. Here’s a video I took.
Look at the bows on the vielles played by David McCormick and Niccolò Seligmann, they are bowed as in curved. They look like you can fire arrows with them. I never realized that was why they are called bows though I’ve seen these before. The modern bows of the violin family lost that shape but kept the name.
You want to hear more from Alkemie, right? You can download their EP Cyprus, 1400 here. If it asks for a download code use NYC<3. It’s not asking me for one but that might be because I already have it. Please subscribe to their mailing list. Please come see them with me; they have gigs coming up in March and June.
I know this is a day late if not a dollar short but I’m still going to put off writing about the rest of my Saturday until tomorrow.
Wise Madness 