Renaissance Music

This quarter, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble students have been studying Renaissance music. We have rehearsed modern band pieces based on music of the era, including Court Festival by William Latham (SB) and Four French Dances by Robert Hanson (WE). Earlier this week, we learned about some exotic Renaissance instruments (see the previous post), and then we divided into chamber groups to create our own arrangements of Renaissance dances composed by Tielman Susato. All of the students received the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass parts to three dances, transposed into the proper key. Then, each ensemble was responsible for orchestrating one of the pieces, adding percussion, and applying ornamentation and dynamics. Here are some of our best results. (Click on the arrows to hear the sounds.)

Symphonic Band (clarinet, 2 alto saxophones, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, and percussion)

Wind Ensemble (flute, clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion)

Wind Ensemble (flute, clarinet, baritone saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion)