Cantigas
Cantigas recreate the music of the Middle Ages with authentic compositions which use techniques of mediaeval performance practice such as countermelodies, drones, rhythm parts and creative improvisation.
Cantigas plays a repertoire of mediaeval and folk-based music from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The group explores instrumental sounds and timbres using hand-crafted Australian reproductions of period instruments. The group generally plays in mean-tone temperament and at the pitch A466 as it is believed that pitch in the Middle Ages was higher than the standard A440 that we use today. The music is all monophonic, that is single line melodies and in most cases merely fragments.
Zana Clarke: ganassi recorder, voice flute, rebec, yayla-tanbur
Caroline Downer: vielle, harp, hurdy-gurdy
Philip Gunter: oud, lute, darabouka, bells
Cantigas is featured on the following titles
Courts in Colour
Traditional melodies from four important courts of the Middle Ages: Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Gaon of Tiberias, Saladin of Egypt, and Alfonso X of Castile and León. Cantigas bring them to life on authentic mediæval instruments.
Travellers' Tapestry
Cantigas weave mediæval and folk-based music from Europe, Asia and the Middle East into a tapestry of trade-route exchange, played on recorder, percussion and early string instruments.
Composer
Silk and Spice
Cantigas follow the mediæval Silk Road in dance, monophonic song and improvisation. Recorders, rebec, vielle, oud, lute and percussion carry music shaped by Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Members of Cantigas
Zana Clarke
Zana Clarke brings the ganassi recorder into mediaeval courts and free improvisation alike, spinning monophonic melodies and new writing on rebec, voice flute and yayla-tanbur with Cantigas and the duo Nardoo.
Caroline Downer
Caroline Downer is a Melbourne early-music performer on vielle, harp and hurdy-gurdy, working with the mediæval ensemble Cantigas.
Philip Gunter
Philip Gunter is a Melbourne musician who plays oud, lute, darabouka and bells with the early-music ensemble Cantigas, and writes new pieces drawn from mediaeval source melodies.
Past members
Martin Greet
Martin Greet is a lutenist associated with the Melbourne early-music ensemble Cantigas, performing mediaeval and related repertoire on period instruments.