The Early Music Legend

The following is from a blog by Richard Sparks... Sunday, June 15 Today a trip to Wye for the Stour Festival to hear David Munrow's Early Music Consort at 3 PM. Munrow was an early music pioneer who we just managed to hear live--as he committed suicide in 1976. This was a fascinating program: a piece with recorder and drone by Munrow absolutely incredibly played--the runs were so fast they were hard to follow in the church acoustic--that's probably the effect intended, however, Rick recorded it--I'd really like a copy [I don't have one]--then renaissance dances for broken consort, all very well played (and danceable--if I do any of this kind of music, I'll have to enroll in a renaissance dance class)--a baroque guitar suite--beautifully played--James Tyler's virtuosity is stunning (on lute, guitar, and banjo)--he looks all the time like your typical banjo player: a smile on his face the whole time--he was fun to watch as well as listen to--the violinist played a...

The following two reviews appear to be reasonably informed reviews on DMs classic Music of the Crusades. They emanate from Amazon.  Marvelous recreations of music from the time of the Crusades, 6 July 2004 By  Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota)  This review is from: Music of the Crusades (Audio CD) Of the "Music of the Crusades" collected on this very interesting album, several actually deal with the Crusades. I am always on the look out for interesting bits of music and film that can be used in history classes to bring the period alive for students and this certainly qualifies. This album contains examples of different types of songs, sung mostly in French and Latin. The lyrics alone are fascinating ("The French are degenerate if they refuse to support God, for I have warned them") and one song, "Ja nus hons pris," is attributed to Richard the Lion-Heart. Teachers covering the Middle Ages can certainly find a song or two to share wit...

March 1, 2008 8:20pm--Meeting the virtuoso David Munrow Christopher Hogwood was for many years the resident keyboard player for the Early Music Consort of London under the director David Munrow, an unparalleled genius when it came to early wind instruments. I remember when the EMC came to perform at Royce Hall, UCLA many years ago and the place was packed to the rafters. Munrow was onstage with countertenor James Bowman, viol player Oliver Brookes, lutenist James Tyler, and Hogwood who, when he wasn't playing keyboard, played little drums and other percussion instruments. All these men were true stars of early music in the mid 1970s. When they came out on stage, Munrow had an array of forty or fifty wind instruments lying on the floor around his chair, and when a piece of music would end, he would just lean down and pick up another instrument and begin to play?a truly amazing artist.  The entire performance was utterly stunning. About ten days later I went to the Mark Taper ...

The following is a cut, and paste listing from the Royal Albert Hall archives. RS Search criteria: Showing performances by 637 Historical filter: 1890 - 2011 Total found: 59 Sorted: By date -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Displaying 1 - 40 of 59 Next | Last -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 30 July 1970, 7:30PM Francesco Landini La bionda treccia [Her blond tresses] David Munrow medieval wind instruments/director Early Music Consort of London Proms premiere -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 30 July 1970, 7:30PM Francesco Landini Questa fanciulla, Amor [Love, please make this girl compassionate] David Munrow director Nigel Rogers tenor Early Music Consort of London Proms premiere -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday 30 July 1...

The following is from a blog by Richard Sparks... Sunday, June 15 Today a trip to Wye for the Stour Festival to hear David Munrow's Early Music Consort at 3 PM. Munrow was an early music pioneer who we just managed to hear live--as he committed suicide in 1976. This was a fascinating program: a piece with recorder and drone by Munrow absolutely incredibly played--the runs were so fast they were hard to follow in the church acoustic--that's probably the effect intended, however, Rick recorded it--I'd really like a copy [I don't have one]--then renaissance dances for broken consort, all very well played (and danceable--if I do any of this kind of music, I'll have to enroll in a renaissance dance class)--a baroque guitar suite--beautifully played--James Tyler's virtuosity is stunning (on lute, guitar, and banjo)--he looks all the time like your typical banjo player: a smile on his face the whole time--he was fun to watch as well as listen to--the violinist...