Medieval Living

I happen to love R&B (rhythm and blues) – Sade being one of my favorite artists. But Medieval R&B you say? Well, actually R&B referres to a musical group performing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, call Renaissance and Baroque. Not only does this group perform a variety of Renaissance and Baroque period music, but they also conduct educational outreach programs to local schools in the Pittsburgh area. They also have a very nice little glossary of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music terms . While I’ve heard of lutes and psaltries and the hurdy-gurdy, some new ones for me included the sackbut, chittarone, and the kithara. The latter, quoting from the R&B site, was “The most important plucked string instrument of Greco-Roman antiquity, larger and heavier than the lyre, which it resembles. The player held the instrument vertically resting upon the left side of the body. The classic kithara had seven strings and was used as a solo instrument and as accompaniment to song.” Lots of other good information there too for those interested in Medieval and Renaissance instruments.