Music of the common folk

The role of music in the communal settings; what role was did music play in the daily life of a commoner?

Happy holidays, everyone—and a sincere apology for such a hiatus. Things have a way of getting busy this time of the year, and with several other endeavors taking more and more focus, I’ve had to put writing on the back burner for a bit. Without getting too bogged down with how I’ve been neglecting Substack, let’s get back into some Early Music. :)

In my previous post, I explored the differences between Ricecars and Fantasias, two common musical forms from the Renaissance period—and the inspiration for the post was a question posed to me by a lute student of mine. This time ‘round, I’ve had a few other interesting questions pop up. My wife was interested in the role of music in the medieval and Renaissance periods outside of the bourgeois/liturgical practices, and she wanted to know how music might have affected the lives of ordinary people. What sort of instruments did they play? What types of music did they participate in? Could they afford instruments? Were they expensive? And many other such questions came pouring forth.

When we discuss early music, we often tend to focus on the major composers and works of the time, and it is quite an easy thing to fall into given that we base the conversation around surviving, historical evidence. During these times, it took a great amount of influence and coin to have works published or recorded in print. Outside of works printed for liturgical use (sponsored by the church), you would often have patrons of the crown or other very wealthy sponsors (think barons, wealthy merchants, etc) supporting a composer or player in recording their music to be more widely disseminated.

This means most of what we have today that survives originates from the upper crust of society, so to speak. These are the composers and artists that we all know by name—many of whom contributed to the cultural shifts of music during the time. But what about the little guy? How was music perceived by the common villager or townsperson? Did they sit around contemplating ricercars and fantasias in the same way members of a royal court might have done? While it might have happened, odds are that wasn’t the norm.

Outside of the scholastic or artistic pursuits of music that notably took off during the Renaissance, music often played a rather functional or utilitarian purpose. Aside from the music encountered in a church service, it typically served as a way to share information in the form of stories, ballads, and the like—an extension of an already existing oral tradition as a means of transmitting culturally bound information between generations.

Music and the participatory

Although much has been lost (or was never written down), music was as ubiquitous in Europe during the medieval and Renaissance periods as Christianity. Song could probably be heard in almost all areas of life. From the fields to the courts, it had a place and function. Outside of worship, secular and cultural music grew out of various traditions, preserving the cultural identities of the areas from which they arose.

Instruments of various kinds could be found. Smaller villages and areas outside of cities would construct their own rudimentary instruments to suit their needs. Flutes, drums, and even simple bowed instruments such as rebecs or lyre might find their place within a village troupe. Some musicians traveled between villages and cities, playing an important role in disseminating information and news, sharing songs picked up during their travels. Inns, taverns, feasts, weddings—nearly every communal event or public haunt would have some form of musical accompaniment.

Within cities, notable instrument makers began to emerge, bringing with them the production of more elegantly designed instruments for wealthier customers. Whether for wealthy entertainment or the commencement of a village dance or festival, music was a means of connecting with those around you.

Musica universalis

The overarching perception of music was one that could be seen reflected by the world and heavens. Dating back to ancient Greece, the concept of musica universalis, or the music of the spheres, was a view that was commonly held up to the medieval period and beyond. Often taught within the quadrivium which predominated classical medieval education—an approach to teaching the four subjects of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy—the music of the spheres heavily influenced the approach and understanding of music. This common thread of musical, or mathematical, harmony linked all aspects of the cosmos together. Producing music was a way to intimate those threads that tied together physical reality. It was these ideas, originally put forth by Pythagoras, that shaped the periods thought around music and its application, influencing the likes of Johannes Kepler which set the stage for further development within various schools of thought during the Renaissance.

A medieval tune

Though I mentioned that lots of music from the medieval period has sadly been lost to time, there are occasional discoveries that offer glimpses into their mysterious and enchanting lives. One such discovery was found on a fragment of an old manuscript dating back to the 13th century with two books of Psalms. While it is one of the oldest English songs known to have been discovered, it offers another unique trait: it is a secular song. Being a non-liturgical song, it offers us a direct glimpse into the hearts and minds of those who might have sung it. Its title: Mirie it is while sumer ilast (Merry it is while summer lasts).

Though incomplete, the manuscript offered enough to reconstruct the melody and lyrics. It is a short song lamenting the end of summer and the approaching of winter. I can only imagine what hardship winters might have brought in England during the 13th century. Below is one of my favorite recordings of the piece. I have also provided the lyrics in their original and modern English translations. Lastly, the modern notation is provided for those who wish to see it!

Middle English:

[M]irie it is while sumer ilast
with fugheles song.
oc nu necheth windes blast
and w[ed]er strong.
Ey ey what this nicht [is] long.
And ich with wel michel wrong
soregh and murne and [fast.]


Modern English:

Merry it is while summer lasts
With fowl’s song.
But now nears the wind’s blast
And weather strong.
Oh, oh! How this night is long!
And I with very much wrong
Sorrow and mourn and fast.

I’d like to once again thank you for subscribing to early music! I wish a wonderful holiday season to each of you! I look forward to continuing the exploration of this rich and bountiful topic in the coming year.

Until then, merry Christmas and happy holidays,

—Collier

Do you have any burning questions relating to medieval or Renaissance music?