12 - Processio Flagellantorum

11 - Quant Je Suis Mis

10 - Plus Dure

09 - Alta Trinita Beata

08 - Istampitta Isabella

07 - La Manfredina

06 - A Tutta Gente

05 - Ognor Mi Trovo

04 - Comment Qu'a Moy Lonteinne

03 - Quant J'ay L'espart

02 - Maria Unser Frowe

01 - Introitus

The Scottish bagpipe tune Amazing Grace played on a set of Wallace Highland pipes.

Highland Cathedral (Great Highland Bagpipes)

The Scottish bagpipe tune Scotland the Brave played on a set of Wallace Highland pipes.

Scotland The Brave (Great Highland Bagpipes)

A virelai by Guillaume de Machaut, ca 1350. The other musicians are Anna Rynefors (frame drum), Göran Hallmarken (req), Anders Ådin (hurdy-gurdy).

Liement Me Deport (Medieval bagpipe)

Two conducti from the Ludus Danielis, a French mystery play of the 12th century. The first is called "Astra tenenti cunctipotenti", the second "simul omnes gratulemur" and refers to many different types of instruments that would presumably have been used in this context.

Astra tenenti cunctipotenti
Turba virilis et puerilis
Contio plaudit
Simul omnes gratulemur,
resonent et tympana;
citharistae tangant cordas,
musicorum organa
resonent ad ejus praeconia.


Astra Tenenti Cunctipotenti

Villancico from Cancionero de Upsala, 1556. Despite the name it is a Spanish song collection with many great songs usually in 4 parts, which is the case here. I play a combination of shawms and crumhorns, as well as percussion. The track actually starts with another tune, "All Voll", from the German Glogauer Liederbuch, ca 1480. The wonderful lyrics go:
Bist du voll, so lege dich nieder / steh früh auf und fülle dich wieder
das ganze Jahr / den Abend und den Morgen / All voll, all voll, all voll / all voll, all voll, all voll.
Not exactly a song for the teetotaller, since it means:
If you are drunk, then lie down, but get up again early and start drinking again, the whole year, in the evening and in the morning. All drunk, all drunk, etc.

This recording was featured in the soundtrack to the computer game "Dominions 4" by Illwinter Game Design (www.illwinter.com).

Rey Aquien Reyes Adoran

A song about spring, from Piae Cantiones (1582). I play harp and Härjedalspipa in low D (a traditional Swedish folk whistle), made by Gunnar Stenmark.

Lyrics:
In vernali tempore ortu lætabundo,
Dum recedunt frigora nunciat hirundo,
Terræ, marries, nemoris decus adest deforis,
Renovato mundo
Vigor redit corporis cedit dolor pectoris,
Tempore iucundo.

This recording was featured in the soundtrack to the computer game "Dominions 4" by Illwinter Game Design (www.illwinter.com).

In Vernali Tempore

Originally a 3-part conductus of the Notre Dame school, this tune is also found in the medieval song collection Carmina Burana. I play two shawms and bass cornamuse (a type of straight crumhorn).

This recording was featured in the soundtrack to the computer game "Dominions 4" by Illwinter Game Design (www.illwinter.com).

Procurans Odium

Two traditional dance tunes from Brittany, played on harp and Härjedalspipa in low D (a traditional Swedish folk whistle), made by Gunnar Stenmark.

This recording was featured in the soundtrack to the computer game "Dominions 4" by Illwinter Game Design (www.illwinter.com).

An Dro

From the CD "Himlens Polska", Nordic Tradition  NTCD07 (2007).

Norsk Brudmarsch

A "folklig koral" (chorale) from Skåne, From the CD "Svanevit", Nordic Tradition NTCD01. Vocals: Anders Larsson.

Din Klara Sol

A polska after Carl August Månsson from Östergötland. The title means "polska of the old harp-player" and was discovered by Josef Berger for the very first Nordic Harp Meeting (www.nordic-harp-meeting.se)! Anna Rynefors plays nyckelharpa.

Harpgubbens polska

Anna Rynefors - Rebec; Erik Ask-Upmark - Harp


Trilltrall

Valltrall and vallpolska after Ludvig Eriksson, Grangärde.

Anna Rynefors - Swedish bagpipe; Erik Ask-Upmark - Harp

Valltrall

A set of three polonaises from Västergötland.

Anna Rynefors - Nyckelharpa; Erik Ask-Upmark - Harp

Polonäsfrossa

Improvisation

An Italian medieval dance melody from the late 14th century, one of the few examples of notated secular dance music that has survived (one of only a handful of examples). This is quite sophisticated and complex solo music that implies a very rich tradition of instrumental music making of which very few examples have survived. I play this on a reconstruction of a 13th-century organetto, also known as portative organ. Anna Rynefors plays percussion. (From the CD "Figs, fiddles and fine play".)

Istampitta Ghaetta

A medieval ballad about the maiden and "Näcken" (a water spirit, usually rather malignant).

Jungfrun Och Näcken

A medieval ballad about the knight Sven Svanevit ("Swan-white"), encountering a bandit who blocks the way, demanding that Svanevit answers his questions in order to let him pass. A bit like the scene from Monty Python's Holy Grail, but with less hacking of limbs...

Popular tracks by Erik Ask-Upmark