Pastance
Pastance came together in 1993 to perform Mediaeval and Renaissance music. Pastance has performed for the early music fraternity but also for a wide range of audiences, from folk festivals and formal concerts to schools, corporate feasts and open air markets.
Their repertoire and performance style has therefore been shaped not only by their diverse musical interests but also by their desire to appeal to this broader audience.
The Sydney based ensemble brings together an amazing diversity of musical ingredients. Harp, lute, recorders, fiddle, gittern, bagpipes, percussion and vocals are used in arrangements of Anglo/celtic folk, early European and original music to create a remarkable sound.
As well as their unique arrangements of folk songs they explore a vast range of other music ranging from the medieval period, through the Renaissance and Baroque to compositions by Alex Cronin.
Pastance has played at some of Australia's largest folk festivals, including The National (1994-2000), Port Fairy (1996), Woodford (1996), Jamberoo (2003) and Cobargo (2004). Over the past 12 years Pastance has performed for over 200,000 school children in over 1000 schools all over Australia and New Zealand.
Pastance consists of:
Alexander Cronin: harp, lute fiddle, gittern, bagpipes, voice
Megan Cronin: voice, recorder, shawm, percussion
Myfanwy Dibben: voice, recorder, percussion
Matthew Ridley: recorders, Renaissance flute, voice
Chris Wheeler: voice, baroque guitar, acoustic guitar
James Gastineau-Hills: fiddle
Artist's website: www.pastance.com
Pastance is featured on the following titles
Sit Down Beside Me
In its inimitable style, Pastance again brings together music from the folk traditions and the early music world.
A Valley Fair
Pastance's most recent offering is a delightful collection of traditional, original, and early music for Celtic harp, recorders and voices.
Joy
'Joy' refers to the intent and inspiration that underlies so much of the music on this disc - and it gives us an appreciation of how music formed the backdrop to people's lives in the Middle Ages.
Falling Through Time
All the colour and mystique of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance come alive with a presentation that is rich in music and drama.
Members of Pastance
Alex Cronin
Multi-instrumentalist Alex Cronin trained as a lutenist in Australia and Holland. As a lutenist and guitarist he has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Brandenburg orchestra, Opera Australia and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Megan Cronin
Megan Cronin was born and educated in Canberra and received her earliest musical training singing with Judith Clingan’s Canberra Children’s Choir, playing oboe in the Canberra Youth Orchestra and at the Canberra School of Music.
Myfanwy Dibben
Myfanwy joined Pastance in 2000. She began her Bachelor of Music at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney in 1996. Majoring in recorder she studied under Howard Oberg and Hans Dieter Michatz and performed with various chamber ensembles including the Conservatorium Baroque Orchestra under Paul Dyer.
Matthew Ridley
In 1993 Matthew joined Pastance and toured extensively with the group (1993-97) throughout Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and New Zealand.