Medieval Composers...?

Hey,

I am creating a medieval promotional video this sunday, and need some music I can use that is very medieval and braveheartish...so, very powerful stuff.

Anyone know of any medieval pieces that would be perfect, powerful and choral? Or orchestra (ha, orchestra in the medieval ?) or yea...whatever?

Any ideas?

if anyone says greensleves...ill shoot them.

Can you clarify whether you want actual medieval music or medieval-sounding music. I don't think you will get anything braveheart type music from the medieval era.

Goodridge, check these out on YouTube. These four composers form a pretty good cross section of Medieval music.

Perotin (ca. 1200)

Guillaume Dufay (ca. 1397-1474)

Medieval and Renaissance choral music would have often, if not always, been performed with instruments doubling the vocal parts. For some reason, we now perform it a cappella most of the time - probably because it's what we got used to when the practice changed toward the end of the Renaissance. Hence, though these performances are nice and stylistically valid as far as we know, the actual sound would have been closer to what I think you're talking about.

The following example is less authentic in that it uses some modern instruments, yet more authentic in that there are instruments doubling the vocal parts and playing their own ritornello - plus the performance is more earthy than some of the polite performances we give nowadays, and hence it may not only be closer to the truth, but also closer to what I'm imagining that you're imagining:

Hope that helps a bit.

ooo they are all very beautiful, thank you so much. The landini one is one i would prefer actually, though, better recorded.

Its the drums that i want I think. Something to give drive. I think that probably movie music is what I'm after; movie music with a medieval 'flavour' to it. But yea, I know nothing too much about medieval and renaissance music.

In regards to Orpheus: Medieval Sounding music is more what I want :)

I actually think i want something like this hahahaha. Its sooo crappily corny, but, like...something with drive...perhaps a little less OTT than this video.

gosh its ridiculously corny.

Hans Zimmer seems to write the same way...in every movie.

That's not corny - it's quite evocative, and it does its job. There just isn't anything Medieval about it! :D But you know that. You're looking for music that can underscore something like that film effectively. The drums make it work.

If you ever need to compose something sounding medieval, low-pitched drums and a lot of open fifths and fourths might make a convincing counterfeit.

hmm yes, and a sample library greater than that given to me in Finale 2007...

EWSSLQSLQSWWQWE would be good I think.