Guest Artist Concert: Trobár Medieval Music Ensemble

Presented in conjunction with the 101st annual meeting of the Medieval Academy of America, hosted by Five Colleges, Inc. on March 19-21.

Songbook for a King: Trobár presents the story of a lavish thirteenth-century anthology of French music, known today as the “Manuscrit du Roi.” The diversity of its content makes it unique for its time, containing sacred and secular songs, vocal and instrumental pieces, works in three languages, and sixty-two miniature artworks. While much of its history remains murky, the manuscript itself gives clues as to why it was created and what it was originally intended to be, as well as what happened to it later. 

Artistic Director Allison Monroe (vielle, rebec, psaltery, voice; Five College Early Music Program Director) is joined by founding member Karin Weston (voice, flute; Contre le Temps, Memor), as well as frequent guest artists Sian Ricketts (recorders, reeds, bagpipes, voice; Piffaro, Alkemie) and Nathan Dougherty (voice; University of Oklahoma). Enjoy the music and images from, and learn the history of, a songbook fit for a king!

About Trobár:  (click for Trobár's website)

Trobár is dedicated to sharing medieval music and its stories of medieval peoples through immersive, interdisciplinary performances and engaging educational activities. Trobár’s work is grounded in rigorous historical research to rediscover and illuminate the diverse perspectives contained within—and omitted by—the historical record.

The word trobar comes from Occitan, the language spoken in the middle ages in what is now southern France, and encompasses numerous meanings: to find, to meet, to create, to compose, to invent. This word encapsulates the spirit of discovery and invention that we bring to musical texts of the middle ages.