A Merry Ronde

A souvenir collection of Renaissance and Medieval music.

This CD owes its origin to a concert programme originally devised to celebrate The Skelton Festival in Diss, Norfolk in 2004, in which Louis was to read Renaissance and Medieval poetry to accompany music of the same period, to be played by The Antonius Players. Having gone to all that trouble, it seemed only sensible to make an album of the music, partly for fun and partly for them to sell at concerts.

Neither the instrumentation nor the arrangements are authentic and there are even a couple of rather good fakes, but the spirit of the music is very authentic indeed. It was recorded in as few takes as possible, with the musicians playing together simultaneously but on separate tracks. As all of the players are multi-instrumentalists, some extra tracks were added afterwards, and the result was this joyful and tuneful album.

The two players at the core of the group are Ilone and Susan Sabin, both professional flautists. There is some debate as to whether Louis is also at the core, but he does seem to be there whenever the other two are, and he plays on many of the tracks on this album. His ambition is to be as good as the others, before senility or arthritis set in! At concerts there may be any number of extra players who have wandered in for the occasion or have conscripted.

Ilone and Sue have been playing together for some years, and Ilone and Louis played together some nineteen years ago when they were both supply teachers in London, and were driven to hiding in the music rooms to get away from whichever teacher was arranging cover. All three have collaborated for some time on various concert programmes of poetry and music. They have had some adventures and misadventures, and have, as this album shows, greatly enjoyed themselves.

Limited availability

	Tracks
1)	The Chirping Of The Nightingale Anon., English	play sample ...
2)	Allemande Johann Hermann Schein	play sample ...
3)	Pastime With Good Company Attrib. Henry VIII	play sample ...
4)	Greensleeves To A Ground Anon., A & C Dolmetsch	play sample ...
5)	Packington's Pound Anon., English	play sample ...
6)	Ronde "Mon Army" Tielman Susato
7)	The English Hunts Up John Whitfield
8)	Wilson's Wilde Anon., English	play sample ...
9)	Ungaresca Giorgio Mainerio	play sample ...
10)	Shall I Come Sweet Love To Thee Thomas Campion	play sample ...
11)	Ronde Tielman Susato	play sample ...
12)	Mr Dowland's Midnight John Dowland
13)	Kemp's Jig Anon., English	play sample ...
14)	Voulez-Vous Que Je Vous Chant Anon., French
15)	Orlando Sleepeth John Dowland
16)	La Morisque Tielman Susato	play sample ...
17)	My Lady Hunsdon's Allmande John Dowland
18)	Hèlas Madame Attrib. Henry VIII
19)	A Merry Ronde Allan Alexander	play sample ...
20)	Walter Green Suite (Live Recording) Walter Green - Poco Allegro - Andantino - Moderato - Vivace