I'm not sure what to say here - not offended, just amused. For people who may have worried that our raucous show may have been a scarring introduction to the HG for the uneducated populace, I would put your minds at ease - despite my primitive dog technique and less than perfect tuning, response has been thoroughly positive - That is the COOLEST instrument I've ever seen! I routinely hear with "I LOVE that sound!" (yes, they are the uneducated rabble, what can I say?) They also say it's beautiful - which it is but, that's due to the maker, not myself.
As far as playing "not from the oral tradition" - err... yeah... like everyone else, we play the music that has survived from the stuff that was written down. The oral tradition didn't - everyone being dead and all. And yes, I play medieval music on a renaissance gurdy -sorry if that's offensive. I also play middle eastern music on the same gurdy . Occassionally, I even play stuff from the rock band Queen - (try Fat Bottomed Girls on the Hg - it's really funny) Finally, I also do "parade around on youtube" - also on myspace, facebook and CD baby. I'm afraid if you set yourself up as the arbitror of what and should not be put up on youtube - you will have a very long and thankless job ahead of you but best of luck and thanks for the input . I have to say all this controversy has drawn more attention to our litltle video than I ever thought it would. ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: "Digest Recipients" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 2:28:00 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [HG-new] Digest for [email protected] - 5 Messages in 2 Topics Today's Topic Summary Group: http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy/topics • another movie [1 Update] • Random Observations on This Bagarre [4 Updates] Topic: another movie Felicia Dale <[email protected]> Dec 10 11:08PM -0800 Wow, Harald, I really enjoyed that a lot! Wow. Do you mind if I post the link to my Facebook page? Felicia. On Dec 10, 2009, at 2:21 PM, Harald Pettersson wrote: Topic: Random Observations on This Bagarre Martin Lodahl <[email protected]> Dec 10 06:47PM -0800 There's much in this discussion that I've found interesting, at least in part because I too am an early music veteran, and abandoned it as a way to make a living over 30 years ago because I was so tired of fighting the battles. I understand Bruno's viewpoint and there was a time when I might have said much the same thing, but one reason that I never do is the consideration that I wasn't actually there in the middle ages and the renaissance. I can make guesses about how it might have sounded and others can too, but we can never really know, so there are pretty sharp limits to the judgments we can make. Many careers have been made and lost in battles over this unprovable question. Other list members have spoken very well indeed about suiting the performance to the venue and about the distinction between a musical ideal and "musica practica;" at a Shakespeare festival where I used to play there was this one couple who came every year from several states away apparently for the express purpose of sniping at us for using plastic reeds in our Krummhorns. When your job is to play several shows per day in variable weather conditions on a large number of instruments, something of a bargain has to be made between authenticity and practicality. What I've found truly encouraging, though, is that there's a clear consensus in favor of civility. What Bruno said was really quite gentle by internet standards, and the response to it has been even more so, while making the collective shock perfectly clear. No hint of a flame war. Nice. - Marty -- Martin Lodahl of Auburn, California UNIX Pro, Musician, Motorcyclist Bruno Fournier <[email protected]> Dec 10 09:57PM -0500 Then if you play Renaissance HG in a renaissance context, why are you playing a piece of music, loosely based on a 13th century piece found in a Manuscript from Alonso the Xth reign in Spain, which I doubt very much was accessible to street musicians in the 15th century. anyways, I think that there we cannot know in any way, what street musicians played. We know what court musicians played in the Renaissance, based on the manuscripts and publications ( printed music came out with Gutenberg's printing method, and the first published lute tablatures were in 1508), but to say that medieval and renaissance street musicians played what had been written or published is a far fetched. Rather composers often based their music on popular tunes from the oral tradition In any case my initial comment was not so much an attack on the style of music, but rather on how poorly played the instruments were and how unmusical the piece was with that interpretation. Furthermore these Renaissance and medieval are of nothing more than just a big bash, with no educational value whatsoever. I do not pretend to be a great musician, nor to be authentic, but I don't go around parading on youtube either. ( can't wait to see the replies on my comments :-) Bruno Cognyl-Fournier www.estavel.org Bruno Fournier <[email protected]> Dec 10 10:05PM -0500 Sorry but if you post a video and then send an email to the list to view it, why should you expect everyone to like it? I initially said that I thought the performance to be poor and pathetic. I have a right to my opinion, just like the people who wrote back to the list in praise of that performance. Of course taste is subjective, I like Dijon mustard, some people don't like Dijon mustard... If one cannot criticize a video posted on the list, then I shall abstain. Bruno On Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 9:14 PM, Sergio F. Ribnikov < [email protected] Dec 10 10:19PM -0500 I have done Ren Faires now for 20 years and I have to add that the original Renaissance Faire was simply an art fair with a theme. The fairs universally have always been more about entertainment and art than about true re-enactment. There are those that fit into the "as close as possible yet still practical" category at most fairs as well. I have a period correct looking costume and rubber soles on my shoes. What is right and wrong at Ren Faires is not the same as what the is right or wrong at historic re-enactments. I have met those that hand sew their entire set of clothes right down to the underwear and they scoff because I only "look" the part. Others buy something that velcros up the back and run around the faire getting drunk and staring at boobs. If you fall in any of the above you are pretty much welcome at a fair. Once again, it is not the same for true re-enactors. As far as the HG goes, I am also the only regular HG player at the local faire and I play French trad on my luteback. I found long ago that there are those that prefer to remain "period correct" at all times and I applaud them for the dedication and great work. There is a group at the fair that is a very good early music group (who spurned me when I first brought my HG to Faire...no word if they have decided that I can play yet) and I leave all the early stuff to them. The truth is I don't much enjoy early music and, although I could play it, it does not float my boat. The debate about what is period and what is not (a never ending "you show me your source and I will show you mine" fight) is best left out of the Ren Faire circuit all together. Although I enjoyed the concept of the performances as a whole I am against anything that shines a dim light on the hurdy gurdy. I work hard to try to get people to learn HG and I think it is always a struggle when someone doesn't take it serious enough to play it well. So I have to say: overall performance good. HG performance: not so good. Lastly, you will generally find me to keep my fingers away from the keyboard when I have something really bad to say, so know that I am not bashing the group just saying as a dedicated HG player that I hate to see the HG lowered in the eyes of the general public. I also understand that the performance in general was not solely about the HG. Scott -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm . To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster.
