Customer Reviews

Mel Bay Cantiga's Renaissance Festival Favorites

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book while I was playing in a Medieval/Renaissance recorder ensemble and wanted to expand my repertoire. Even though I have dozens of folk music collections, this is one that I reach for over and over again. I appreciate the spiral binding that allows me to set the book open on a music stand without struggling to keep the pages open. I love that the songs are arranged in alphabetical order, so I can always find what I'm looking for. The CD that comes with it is great, too, with the tunes being performed by several instruments in clever arrangements that really demonstrate what is possible from even the simplest melody. There are also some source and performance notes included with each song, which I really appreciate since as a historic reenactor I always like to research my sources. I have been playing from this book for over three years, now, with soprano recorder and fiddle, and I am still enjoying it. If the book ever falls apart, I'm buying another one for sure!

Amazing collection of a variety of tunes that can be played by a beginning recorder player or, with the suggested embellishments and variations, by a more advanced player. The historical notes about the songs add a new perspective on Renaissance music and period dances. Even to the beginner, the chord and percussion notations are helpful to presenting a polished and lively performance.

Very good Renaissance music book jam packed with 143 tunes in Lead Sheet form. The tunes allow the musician to get really creative in adding/changing the chords, and the CD that comes with this book, provides a way to actually hear some of these wonderful melodies, as performed by Cantiga, the group who put this book together...Highly recommended!

The CD alone is so excellent it's worth the price for the whole book. Thanks, Rennies, for this delightful collection!

The culture of Renaissance Faires for decades has been one irrevocably intertwined with music that defines the period. Bob Bielefeld is a fine Gentleman, and a master musician who has studied not only the origins of the classical,folk and dance music of the English, French, and Italian Renaissance, but also the culture of those whose re-enactments bring these periods to life for hundreds of thousands each year at Renaissance Festivals across the country. This fine book of music is one result of his effort; the other is the actual musicianship that thrills so many of us each time we have the chance to hear him play with his Bands "Cantiga" and the "New World Renaissance Band". The book and its accompanying CD are "must haves" for any serious musician wishing to re-enact the music and dances of the Renaissance, and comes with my highest recommendations!

Great book. I'm intermediate, at best. I don't think I ever heard any of these songs, so it is a bit tough for me to get going. I have no complaints. The music is varied and would be fun to play around my friends at festival and what-not. I'm very happy purchasing it and all in all it is MUCH easier than Mel Bay's Celtic Tunes, which I'd call hard! Mel's stuff is great! 174 pages filled with great music and fun facts. 32 of it's songs are on the CD, which is melodic and more than a teaching CD, but not too melodic that I can't follow along. I've been listening to the CD to learn it and the songs are all very nice. I think I need to right numbers down so I can more easily find them. The spiral binding is also strong and easy to use. One of my other books with a pasted spine lost a page and that stinks because I often go outdoors to play. Anyone interested in renaissance, this book is a MUST BUY!

Sally Shopper, another reviewer of this product said it all!
This is a great book if you like playing renaissance music. I originally bought it for recorder, but have found myself adapting penny whistle to it. It can be done, just improvise a bit.
The CD is great, my only "complaint" being that the songs do a fade out. Well, they just can't fit all of them on there. At least they didn't end abruptly. I thought they would for some reason and just give a sampling.
All in all, a really nice deal.

This is exactly what everyone needs to listen to whe they are feeling down!

Joyce Lavene, Ghastly Glass

I saw Cantiga live at a renaissance festival and was so impressed, I not only went back to see them again but I bought all four CDs available at the time! I would definitely encourage anyone to purchase Martha's Dragon, Once Upon a Time, Magic Steps and The Otter's Pool. As I have been studying the recorder myself, I emailed them to ask about their written music. Bob Bielefeld emailed back to let me know about this book. Needless to say, I have ordered it and am seriously looking forward to its receipt! He explained that the music is written in single melody lines with the chords written above since they do a lot of improvisation in the accompaniments. This was just what I was looking for!