medieval minstrels
Trouvere are medieval musicians Paul Leigh and Gill Page
We have been playing music together for nearly twenty years, and our particular love is for the music of the high middle ages - the time of the crusades and of the arts of courtly love. We enjoy rediscovering, recreating and re-interpreting the magnificent music of these times, based on thorough historical research alongside our musical experience and understanding. We are also the directors of Medieval Music in the Dales - the UK's only festival of medieval music.
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The rich interweaving of strings is perhaps our signature sound, played on the gittern and harp. But we have an amazing array of instruments, and also love to combine flutes and harp, bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy, whistles and drums...
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We like to give a medieval context to our performances and to that end we often perform in authentic clothes of the period - another of Gill’s enthusiasms!
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Trouvere are based in North Yorkshire, UK.
The really big project that we are working on is the 'Ludus Danielis'. If you don't know about this medieval source already, you have certainly been missing out! This church play, likely from the late twelfth century and telling two of the Old Testament stories about the prophet Daniel, is stuffed full of wonderful tunes to accompany the stories of The Writing on the Wall and Daniel In The Lions' Den. We have enjoyed playing many of these tunes for some years now, and have finally decided to produce our own edition of the music, ready for performance at next year's Medieval Music in the Dales, and for recording as a new album over the course of the coming year. We are delighted to be working on this project with some outstanding musicians - Richard de Winter (of course!), his brother David de Winter, singer Martin Lamb and the awesomely talented Stef Conner and Juliet Primrose. This is probably our biggest project ever! and we will be keeping you updated on it.
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We are also over the moon to have got the backing of the brilliant Continuo Foundation for the first stage of our Ludus Danielis project - to plan, rehearse and deliver our four-person concert version of the Play of Daniel, working with Richard de Winter and Juliette Primrose. We will be rehearsing together over the summer, and then premiering this at Medieval Music in the Dales. We are so looking forward to it!
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We are also getting together our programme of performances for this year. There are a few confirmed already as below, but more will no doubt be added! Watch this space, and if you would like to book Trouvere. of course just get in touch.
The easiest way to listen to our music is on streaming services, but you can also buy downloads on Bandcamp or CDs from our Etsy Shop. Here are all the links!
Follow us to stay up to date with everything we are doing.
CALENDAR
Events for 2024 are coming in and more will be added as soon as we have firm information!
All the events listed here are public events, although these days many are ticketed and you might need to contact the relevant organisation in advance. It would be great to see you!
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Upcoming public events for 2024
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18-19 May - Minstrel Music and Tales at Chepstow Castle
28-31 May - Medieval Music at Alnwick Castle. Twenty instruments in twenty minutes!
8 June - Tudor Music at Prescot Elizabethan Fayre
9 June - medieval music at Open Garden for Richmond MayFest
6-7 July - medieval music at the 2024 Richard III Festival at Middleham Castle
20-23 July - Medieval and Tudor Music at Alnwick Castle.
25 July - Music of the Mead Hall and the Abbey - a concert of pre-conquest music and tales, St Editha's Church, Tamworth
6-8 August - Medieval Music at Alnwick Castle.
19 August - An Evening of Medieval Music at Newcastle Castle, with The Nightingale & the Lark, and Wulffengrimm
25-26 August - medieval music for the Clash of Knights at Beeston Castle
31 August - medieval music for the Medieval Fair at Furness Abbey
13-15 September - Medieval Music in the Dales, Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
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