Insights into British music: Places where music is played

1. Insights into British music:Places where music isplayed

2. MAPPING OUT THE SUBJECT Throughout the ages, where has music been played? Draw a list of all the places where music canbeplayed. Whatis the linkbetween the places where music isplayed and the music itself?

3. Questions de point de vue On peut répondre à cette question à la voix active: Musiciansplay music either in a concert hall or in a theatre. National or regional orchestras mostfrequentlyperform in a concert hall whilebrass bands play in the streets. Less-knownmusicianscangive concerts in pubs, bars or cafés. Mais on peut aussi mettre l’accent non sur les musiciens mais sur la music et opter pour la voix passive: Music isplayedin manydifferent places. Worksongsweresung in the cottonfields and folk music wasplayedoutdoors. From the dawn of times, music has been playedon the work place and has been usedas an accompaniment and encouragement for labor. Concerts canbegiveneither in a concert hall or in private setting, especiallywhen the music isaimedataristocraticfamilies. Complément de la voix active + BE conjugué + PP (by + C.A.)

4. The MedievalPeriod: Itinerantmusicians There were two types of Medieval Musicians - the Minstrels and the Troubadours. A troubadour was originally a travelling musician. Troubadours such as professional jongleurs, with families moving around with them, were famed for their musical abilities, readiness to perform for hire, and their knowledge of roads and horses. The themes of the songs sung by the Troubadours mainly dealt with chivalry and courtly love - romantic ballads. The troubadour would play for royalty nobles. Troubadour songs were usually monophonic. Fewer than 300 melodies out of an estimated 2500 survive.Most were composed by the troubadours themselves. Some were set to pre-existing pieces of music.

5. MedievalFiddle2. Minstrel'sHarp3. MedievalTrumpet4. Portative Organ5. HurdyGurdy6. Rebec7. Nakers8. Long-necked Lute9. Cornemuse10. Medieval Lute11. Pipe & Tabor12. Psaltery13. Shawns14. Medieval Triangle15. MedievalCymbals

7. Minstrels In Anglo-Saxon England before the Norman Conquest professional poets (scop) composed his own poems, and sang them to the accompaniment of a harp. Gleemen went from place to place, earning what they could from their performances. Initially, minstrels were simply servants at Court, and entertained the lord and courtiers with chansons de geste. The term minstrel derives from Old French ménestrel , a derivative from Middle Latin ministralis,from minus, "lesser". The term minstrel designates a performer who amused his lord with music and song. The Minstrels earned a living by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a lute, harp or other instrument. They were first employed as travelling entertainer s and then as a castle or court musician or Medieval Bard Medieval Minstrels often created their own ballads but they were also famous for memorising long poems based on myths and legends. Minstrels performed at feasts and festivals in great numbers. Medieval Fairsand Festivals were common during the Middle Ages . The musical instruments played by wandering minstrels who performed at these events were light and easily carried. They included fiddles, the lute, recorders(flûte à bec)and small percussion instruments.  A guild of royal minstrels was organized in England in 1469. Some minstrels were retained by lords as jesters who, in some cases, also practised the art of juggling. Minstrels in Europe died out slowly, having gone nearly extinct by about 1700.

8. The Renaissance (the Elizabethan Era)These pictures are both details from the funerary picture of Sir Henry Unton (or Umpton) who died in 1596. The original hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

9. The EighteenthcenturyJuly 17, 1717, Handel’s The Water Music Patronage System -Baroque period composers were employed by the church and the wealthy, ruling class. This system of employment was called the patronage system. Usually one wealthy person (or patron ) would pay the composer for each work and decided what kind of piece the composer would write. Unfortunately this limited the composers freedom of creativity.

10. In the service of a lord, a prince, or an aristocrat William Hograth, A Rake’sprogress, 1732-33

12. Music at home People in the late 18th century enjoyed music at home with family and friends, at parties, taverns, military gatherings, dance parties and balls, in church services, and if they lived in or near cities and had the means, they might attend concerts. There were itinerant music instructors for those who could afford them. The voice was a popular instrument for both sexes, and as with musical instrument instruction, there were itinerant singing masters and singing schools. Womanplaying a hammered dulcimer, man playing a wooden (or German) flute, and a man playing an English guitar or lute. “MusicosnumTerraco,” Wilhelm Van Der Loet, 1707, CourtesyNogueira da Silva Museum, Braga, Portugal.

13. An ideal19th centuryfamily Music-makingbecame a widelypracticedactivity as public concerts were more frequent and musical scores (partitions musicales) couldbeprinted more easily and at a lowerprice.

14. The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941. Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from several performance genres have appeared on its stage and it has become one of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings. Each year it hosts more than 350 events including classical concerts, rock and pop, ballet and opera The BBC Promenade Concerts, known as "The Proms" is a popular annual eight-week summer season of daily classical music concerts and other events at the Hall.

15. Royal Opera House, London Situated in the heart of Covent Garden, it  has been playing host to major stars of the classical music world since 1858. It is one of London's most esteemed, iconic and beautiful performance venues.

16. Basic glossary • Aisle : apassagebetweenrowsofseats, forexampleinachurch, theatre, orplane, orbetweentheshelvesofasupermarket • Auditorium thepartofatheatre, cinemaetcwheretheaudiencesits • Backcloth acloththathangsatthebackofastage, especiallyapaintedoneusedinaplay • Backdrop apaintedclothhangingatthebackofthestageinatheatre • Backstage intheareabehindthestageinatheatre, includingtheroomswheretheactorsgetdressed • Backstage relatingtotheareabehindthestageinatheatre, includingtheroomswheretheactorsgetdressed • Balcony anupperfloorinatheatreorcinemathatsticksoutoverthemainfloor • Box asmallenclosedspacewithseatsinatheatreorsportsground, separatefromwheretherestoftheaudienceissitting • box office theplaceinatheatrewhereyoubuytickets • Curtain averylargepieceofcloththatispulleduportothesideonatheatrestagewhenaperformancestarts • Downstage towardsoratthefrontofthestageinatheatre • dress circle theseatsinthefrontpartoftheupperfloorinatheatre. Thewholeoftheupperflooriscalledthecircleandthelowerflooristhestalls. • Footlights arowofverybrightlightsatthefrontedgeofatheatrestage • Foyer alargeopenspaceclosetotheentranceinsideabuilding, hotel, ortheatre • front of house thepartsofatheatre, cinema, orconcerthallthattheaudienceuses • Gallery thehighestlevelofatheatre, cinemaetcwheretheleastexpensiveseatsare • the gods thehighestseatsinatheatre • green room • House thepartofatheatre, cinema, concerthalletcthatcontainstheaudience

17. Offstage inortowardstheareabehindatheatrestagewheretheaudiencecannotsee • Onstage onthestageofatheatre • orchestra pit theareainfrontofandbelowatheatrestagewhereanorchestrasitsandplaysthemusicforanopera,ballet, ormusical • Pit theplaceinfrontofastagewhereanorchestrasits • Proscenium thepartofatheatrestagethatisinfrontofthecurtain • Row alineofseatsinatheatreorcinema • Scenery thefurnitureandpaintedbackgroundonatheatrestage • Set thesceneryandfurnitureusedinafilm, play, ortelevisionprogrammetomakethestagelooklikeaparticularplace • Stalls theseatsinfrontofthestageonthelowestlevelofatheatre, cinemaetc • Upstage atortowardsthebackofthestageinatheatre • the wings therightorleftsideofastagethatyoucannotseeifyouareintheaudience

18. Sir Arthur William Blomfield, Royal College of Music, 1889-90

19. Sage Gateshead The Sage Gateshead is a centre for musical education, performance and conferences, located in Gatesheadon the south bank of the River Tyne, in the North East of England. It opened in 2004. The building is open to the public throughout the day.Visitors can see rehearsals, soundchecks and workshops in progress.  There was also "ExploreMusic": a technologically well-equipped musical branch of Gateshead public library, stocking books, and current magazines covering all aspects of music, a CD library with listening posts, and computers with free internet access, subscriptions to music websites, and music software. However this was closed in March 2011 owing to funding cutbacks

20. Wembley Stadium