The Beauty of Music Old Enough to Know What They're Singing...

(if you know Latin…)

Well, I always get a major bagpipe fix at Blowout at the end of May, but we all know that once a year just isn’t enough…you know… like only having Creme Eggs at Easter or a rubbish Selection Box at Christmas (do they even still do those?)….I’m looking forward to Historically Informed Summer School in August (see last Chanter if you’re wondering), but it’s not a wholly bagpipe thing.

It’s like returning to the desert after Blow Out is done. What then? I’m glad you asked.

I do have another major bagpipe fix: Medieval Music in the Dales (MMitD), which also marries up with my love of Early Music. I love to party like it’s 1378 when we had three Popes. And fleas. And Normans emptying their noses in our general direction. And roast rat on a stick. And Jabberwockys.

Dang, I need to leave Monty Python alone…

MMitD is a fabulous little festival deep in the Yorkshire Dales, held in September in Castle Bolton and its grounds. We have the run of the castle for a whole weekend full of workshops; several stages where you can mosh to the cream of the pre-1500s ‘rock’ bands; concerts; and of course evening music sessions fuelled by excellent local beer and fresh pizza. It is really quite surreal walking into a session in full swing with the music dating back to the Middle Ages.

It's a real privilege spending three days in the castle and its grounds, almost as if it’s your own gaff. There’s something magical about waking up in the morning, greeted by the mists rising from the valley below and the sounds of a gradually waking castle. It gives you a small flavour of what it might have been like in the castle’s heyday, but with fewer trees. At night with no light pollution there are thousands of stars and the odd meteor – thankfully they are not harbingers of the Black Death these days, so you can enjoy the sight with impunity.

Bagpipes, being as old as they are, they fit into this festival so beautifully. No-one is going to bat an eyelid when you fire up the old airbag in mixed company.

Don’t let the niche- ness of Medieval music put you off; the tunes are easy to pick up, and contrary to popular belief it’s not all lutes and hey nonny nonny. Even the religious tunes, of which there are many, are pretty rollicking. Where else are you going to get hymns of praise to the Virgin rubbing shoulders with young maidens comparing notes over ugly knights and handsome peasants – a Medieval ‘I don’t fancy yours much!’ It’s fair to say you can’t get far away from religion in the Middle Ages, but there’s plenty of fun snail riding and playing butt trumpets besides (go on, look it up!), and the musicians have a whale of a time playing together regardless of musical origin. Speaking of which, the music played is from all over Europe, plenty of different flavours for different palates.

MMitD does what it says on the tin. It’s all about the music. This is not a Living History festival, so while you do get a few folk who like to wear the clothing of the age, most are in mufti. I have to say, though, that when the weather is rough – and it often is – the warmest clothing you can wear isn’t Goretex fleece stuff, it’s linen and pure wool. And the instruments too, don’t necessarily need to be Period. Most are by default (y’know…like bagpipes…), but you won’t be a social pariah if you tip up with a plastic Yamaha recorder. Like Blow Out it’s an inclusive festival. People want to encourage others to get involved in playing Medieval music so it does its best to be friendly and welcoming. If you’re a newbie to the scene, this is where you can meet instrument makers; pick up dots and recorded music; and rub shoulders with specialists and darn clever commoners. So if you’re already hankering after bagpipey goodness, give it a try, maybe even fall in love with Medieval music while you’re at it and sell your soul to the devil. Or did we already do that when we took up bagpipes….? Hmmmm…..

https://www.medievalmusicinthedales.org/mmitd-2024

Photos courtesy of MMitD

The Bagpipe Society

The Beauty of Music Old Enough to Know What They're Singing...

(if you know Latin…)