Does it *sound* period?

Bertram proposed a model for analysing songs/performances to determine acceptability for authenticity, on the criteria of tune, lyrics/language, and instrumentation.

What to sing and how to sing it while maintaining that "A-feeling" has been my main focus in the society. I've come up with what I feel is a satisfactory approach. Let me see if I can put it in words. (I should explain that I sing folk, traditional, and other songs outside the SCA.)

When I learn a new piece, I look at it's elements to see if they are period, blatantly non-period, or somewhere in between. I also check my overall impression of the piece, since quantitative analysis only works so well on an abstract artistic object. If *any* element is obviously non-period to my perception (being vaguely knowledgable about it) then I won't sing it at an event, though I might consider it at a post-revel. Period english songs are unfortunately rare, so I think it's valid to flesh out a repertoire with pieces that still maintain a period feel.

I look at slightly different elements than Bertram suggests. Keeping in mind that I haven't done this consciously, here's my stab at a checklist (everything here is personal opinion, BTW.)

• 1) melody
  If separated from playing-style and arrangement, I consider this the least worrisome of the lot. Melodies are the least-restricted part of a song, so it is harder to be blatantly non-period here. The rythmic structure of the melody is the part that will most likely "give away" an OOP tune. Modern scales are mostly a subset of those used in period, so that's less of of problem. Knowledge of hexachords and such might be useful in analysing a melody, if you wanted to do it methodically. Certain motifs appear in a lot of modern music, and of course they shouldn't be there for a period-style performance.

• 2) arrangement
  
  • i) instrumentation
    So far as I can tell, the most common way to perform a song in the Middle Ages in most places was without accompaniment. For some places and times, instrumental accompaniment on particular instruments may sometimes be appropriate. Period-style instruments are hard to come by, but modern equivalents played in period style can still provide the appropriate feel. (i.e. modern recorders or neo-celtic harps vs. Medieval or Renaissance ones). Modern variants of late period instruments are considered jarringly OOP by most people (e.g. guitars), so I personally won't use them except at post-revs. I am also rather affronted by the fake lutes-strung-and- tuned-and-played-like-a-guitar that I have seen at Pennsic, but maybe that's just me.
  • ii) harmony
    Any accompaniment or vocal harmony should use intervals that were used in the appropriate place and time, not modern chords.

• 3) lyrics
  
  • a) language
    
    • i) period dialect
      Period pieces in the original language are wonderful to hear. Personally, I get someone to teach me how to pronounce the dialect in question so that I don't mangle it too much.
    • ii) modern English
      Most people don't understand period dialects. I love singing Anglo-Norman songs, but they're not so good for telling a story, getting a message accross, or keeping attention on a performance. Either poetic translations or songs in modern English can still have a period feel. It's a matter of content and idiom. Look at the old Child ballads (the ones he documents as coming from period sources) as examples of songs that have evolved from period to modern language. Also, some other languages have a rich folk-heritage of old songs, which are documentably period. Hungary, for example.
  • b) references
    any references to OOP objects, events, times, and places obviously destroys any possibility of a period feel.
  • c) form
    I mean this in a poetic sense - rhyme and metre and all that. Some forms are period, some aren't. (BTW, I have yet to find a book of poetry forms that consistently includes chronological information. References would be appreciated!)
  • d) style
    This is hard to define. It includes symbolism, idioms, stock phrases, common analogies and plot elements. Basically, the things that are different between a period story and a modern one. One way to develop a sense of this is to read lots of period stories and listen to and study lots of period songs.

• 4) singing/playing style
  It is difficult for most musicians to keep modern techniques, styles of improvisation and ornamentation out of their performance and substitute period ones. Still, that's what you have to do. I love playing recorder with Highland bagpipe ornamentation, vibrato, and four-note pitch-bends, but recorders were probably not played that way in period. Similarly, a blues or jazz feel would ruin a period song.

References (from memory - I'll double-check later):

McGee, Timothy; Medieval and Renaissance Music - A Performers Guide
Child, Francis J.; English and Scottish Popular Ballads
Bartok, Bela - a study of Hungarian folk song - I don't recall the title, send email if you want bibliographic data.

Miklos, singer in herald's clothing
beyond the Glass Mountain, farther than the birds fly
dancing away in far Ar n-Eilean-ne

andrew@bransle.ucs.mun.ca