We are excited to offer a Medieval Track during week 2 of the Amherst Summer Festival, which will allow students to create their entire daily schedule choosing from repertoire topics and technique sessions dedicated to their instrument and/or voice entirely focused on music before 1500. A practical exploration of Medieval music is always closely linked with inquiries into performance practice, including instrument iconography, modes of musical transmission, memorization and improvisation, ornamentation, medieval music theory, and even gaining a sense of how Medieval European society was structured, and in what ways this structure in turn influenced the musical practice at the time. In short, a week-long immersion into medieval music practice, guided by a wonderful faculty of leading experts in their field, lets you step back in time and bring to vibrant life sounds and songs from the distant past.
