Welcome back to your source for Tudor clothing and accessories with a touch of whimsey and silliness!

The Tudor Fair Blog

Throwback Ep 14: Intro to English Renaissance Music

A throwback to one of the earlier, and more popular episodes I’ve done; an intro to English Renaissance Music Here’s my English Renaissance music playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/hteysko/playlist/3SsafFVJ4eGbW5Onz3I8bY Here are some other musical-related episodes I’ve done on English Renaissance music: David Skinner interview – August 2015 https://www.englandcast.com/2015/09/suzidigby/ – Suzi Digby interview –…

Continue reading

Music from the world of the Queen of Scots

We all know that early music, particularly English liturgical music, is my big passion, right? I geek out on the music created out of the Book of Common Prayer, and I can easily sit for hours comparing Tallis through the decades. But one area I don’t know that much about,…

Continue reading

Music for Impressing a King: Taverner’s Missa Corona Spinea, Wolsey, and Henry VIII

In March 1527 Henry VIII and his wife Catherine of Aragon visited Cardinal Wolsey’s new foundation – Cardinal’s College – in Oxford.  John Taverner, one of the most famous composers of his time, was commissioned to write an appropriately stunning piece of choral music that would wow the King and…

Continue reading

Early Music Saturday: Madrigals of Madness from the Calmus Ensemble

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again – I find the best music via the Millennium of Music show, which is on both Sirius and NPR.  I have a membership and can listen to old episodes (it’s the best $2.99/month I spend) and I was perusing episodes…

Continue reading

Winter Music: The Irony of Harsh Darkness and Cozy Delight

It’s winter.  Even here in Andalusia, the nights are bitterly cold, and the rain we got at the beginning of the week soaked through my bones and practically froze me.  It’s time for big pots of chili and hot cocoa.  Now that the holidays are over, we can get thoroughly…

Continue reading

It’s that time of year! The Trinity Carol Roll and caroling in general

The Caroling season is beginning!  A month from now, many of us will be attending candlelight Christmas Eve services where, if you’re like me, you’ll end up a bit weepy as the church goes dark, and you try to sing Silent Night in your voice part because you’ve sung it…

Continue reading

Stile Antico rescued my Music Drought

About 7 years ago I went through a Music Drought.  Have you ever been in one of those?  Months, or even years go by, and you realize that you haven’t listened to anything new, or even anything that you love and makes your spine tingle in ages?  Yeah, well, that…

Continue reading

Staying relevant in pop culture after 500 years: Tallis and Spem in Alium

A few months ago I went to pull up a recording of Thomas Tallis’ Spem in Alium, his famous 40 part motet written for 8 5-part choirs.  I hadn’t listened to it in a while, and it was the kind of day that called for some later Tallis.  The recording that came…

Continue reading

Old Music Monday: Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya

In a few months I’m going to be moving to Spain.  Specifically Ronda, in Andalucia.  An area loaded with history dating to the pre-Roman times.  I’m super stoked for this move.  So in advance, and because I speak no Spanish other than the words I pick up living in Southern California,…

Continue reading

Old Music Monday: The Fasch Clan

Yep, I’ve had a little break from blogging recently, mostly doing a lot of writing and working and other fun creative things.  But let’s get back to business, shall we? Everyone who has studied even a smidgen of music has heard about the Bach clan.  Johann Sebastian and his son…

Continue reading

Old Music Monday: The Cardinall’s Musick and Elizabethan religious PR gigs

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bMiYnzkZx4?list=PLhHbeycso61VkjUYaeHgmoVrs1lkU8Q_f] This week The Cardinall’s Musick has seen some heavy rotation on my Spotify.  They are a UK based ensemble that, like many early music groups, is scholarly in their recordings of 16th and 17th century music.  They mostly record with Hyperion – a label I love – but…

Continue reading

Old Music Tuesday: Ensemble Cinquincento

If any of you are into early music, and you have sirius radio, there is a wonderful program called The Millennium of Music, on Symphony Hall, channel 76, at 11am eastern/8am pacific on Sunday mornings.  I generally catch it in snippets when I’m on my way to walk Hannah at…

Continue reading