What is this, and why does it matter?

Simply put: it’s extremely cool, and we think Alabamians deserve to experience more of it!

"Early music" generally refers to Western Classical music composed before 1750, especially from the Renaissance (c. 1450–1600) and Baroque (c. 1600–1750) eras. The year 1750 marks the death of monumental Baroque composer J.S. Bach, which to many symbolizes the end of the Baroque period, and a simultaneous rise of new musical styles and aesthetics at roughly the same time. As tastes evolved and the last candles of the 18th century burned out, earlier music and instruments - like the harpsichord , the curiously curved bows of the violin family, and sackbuts (yes, really) - of prior eras had fallen out of favor in pursuit of modern innovations.

By the early 20th century, a growing group of curious musicians and scholars wondered just how different their instruments were from earlier ones, and how far techniques and performance styles had diverged from the intentions of early composers and musicians. Scouring archives, attics, and museums, they unearthed a treasure trove of forgotten instruments: portative organs, theorbos, viols, the hurdy-gurdy, and the serpent, to name a few. Some instruments were playable, but many more required significant restoration. Others survived only in written records and were reconstructed using historical artwork, treatises, and makers’ manuals. But these early-music pioneers went even further, seeking out answers to such questions as historical performance conventions, tuning methods, and playing styles. All of this and more laid the foundation for the “historically informed performance” (HIP) movement: performing early music as it was originally intended.

Since gaining traction in the mid-20th century, HIP has flourished into a respected and vibrant branch of classical music. Today, ensembles all over the world specialize in performing with period instruments, and leading conservatories offer degrees in historical performance. While we may never know exactly how early music sounded, HIP brings us closer than ever in today’s world.

Additionally, the HIP movement has been influential on everyday life in more ways than we realize:

• Have you ever played D&D with a lute-strumming bard, or seen lyres, hurdy-gurdies, or handheld harps in fantasy movies? Those are real historical instruments, revived in part by the HIP movement.

• The way some Appalachian folk musicians play the fiddle is a continuation of centuries-old historical performance traditions. Old-time Appalachian fiddling has direct ties to violin playing techniques brought over by early European settlers!

• Popular video game soundtracks have frequently been inspired by early music. Two of the world’s most popular video game series - Assassin’s Creed and Elder Scrolls - use historical instruments, textures, and modes to immerse players.

At Bama Baroque, we specialize in the historically informed performance of both Baroque and folk music. These two genres may seem different at face value, but in fact they influenced each other regularly. Additionally, a sizable amount of folk music still played today was already around or was written during the 17th-18th centuries, making it a natural choice to play on our historical instruments. For all these reasons and more, many musicians specializing in either style find the expressive, improvisatory, collaborative style of both worlds to be a match made in heaven.

Most importantly, we believe everyone deserves to experience the mesmerizing beauty of early music. We warmly invite you to join us for a concert, reach out with questions or ideas, or get involved. There’s a place for everyone in this timeless art form!