Chording to the Consort, – Melody and Chords for 35 Renaissance Dance Consort Pieces and Chansons (The Wold Meridian Mediaeval and Renaissance Performer’s Library)

35 pieces from the late 15th to the early 17th Century from the courts of Europe. Chording to the Consort , like the previous publication Chording to the Dance Masters presents these dances and chansons as single melody lines with chords, suitable for the player on their own or with accompaniment of a chord playing instrument. The chords stand in for the other melodic lines in the original publications, and help give a feel of these consort pieces and chansons, and yet make them accessible for a small number of players. (This is especially useful for buskers, and players in re-enactments, or those just wishing to entertain themselves with a keyboard). For those who would like to play with larger ensembles, there are two companion volumes which have the same tunes in full score versions where the melody and chords are reunited with the other harmony parts. For those wishing to sing, lyrics have been provided, although performing these pieces instrumentally was also popular in renaissance times. The melodies are suitable for a wide range of instruments (composers of the time rarely specified what instruments should be used). Recorder players may find that a number of the tunes fit more comfortably on a treble (alto) instrument, As with other pieces of this era, there is a limited range between the highest and lowest notes, and they do not venture too far from the home keys, which makes them accessible to beginners to intermediate players. This publication is fully supported by a YouTube Playlist, demonstrating every piece in the collection, featuring the solo line with the chords as well as sections with the original full part harmony. Videos are educational with period artworks and historical information. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYRWH2nycMkPO9vTOgEoG_kRJlJ5nUHnxYouTube Link https://youtu.be/BNoW0o0h-bQ