Bardic

Click on the links below each subject heading for more information

• Caccini - "Le Nuove Musiche" (1602)
• Dowland - 1st Book of Songs (1597)
• Dowland - 2nd Book of Songs (1600)
• Adrian Le Roy - Guitar Songs (1555)
• Etc.

If you're so inclined - a page describing white mensural notation would be 1) awesome, 2) a teaching tool for others, 3) possibly the basis of a class you could teach whenever you wish (Virtual Atlantia, even!), and 4) fancy.  Obviously, you'd want different text than this to lead someone to follow a link... which is linked below... Could discuss things like:  1) White Mensural Notation - the basics, 2) White Mensural Notation - frequently observed challenges, 3) Why transcribe White Mensural Notation?, 4) Examples of White Mensural Notation (compare and contrast different publications - e.g. Le Roy vs Dowland vs Caccini, vs. etc.).

• White Mensural Notation

To make period music more accessible to the modern musician, I am transcribing period music into modern staff notation.  White mensural notation looks, in some ways, similar to modern notation, but without bar lines or the host of time and key signatures we typically see today.  Often, period music is not set to the modern G clef that we are accustomed to today (though, the G clef does appear occasionally in the SCA period).  Oftentimes, accidentals are not marked in the original publications, and this necessitates a thorough evaluation of every note in a piece, to ensure that the transcription is accurate.  Transcribing vocal music also involves determining syllabication of lyrics, and sometimes evaluating abbreviations used in the text that are not immediately obvious.  I am currently working with Johann to transcribe Adrian Le Roy's guitar songbook, originally published in 1555.  Through working on this transcription project, I have observed that there are frequent printing errors in note values, interesting (and not always obvious) uses of repeat structures, unfamiliar methods of indicating alternate endings, etc.!  Transcription work can be challenging, but the effort is worthwhile.  There are many pieces of beautiful period music that are not available to the modern day musician.  By transcribing these works, we can ensure this music lives on!  Click the link below to see some of my vocal transcriptions from Le Roy's 1555 guitar song book.

• Adrian Le Roy (1555) Transcriptions (A work in Progress - check back for more)

Click the links below for examples of my original bardic works

• Lucian's Song
• Other stuff?  Poetry counts!

• Vocal Exercises and Warmups (examples?  Class notes?)
• Site Reading for Vocalists (this may seem simple to you, but there is a demand for it!)
• Other stuff...  These are all just ideas - we can cut this entire section for now!  And we can cut additional sections for now - just coming up with ideas!