On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
There are no more proficient or imaginative practitioners of early music than the members of the Baltimore Consort. Their programs are invariably intelligent and involving, and the performances--well, you just have to hear them. Faultless musicianship and a real sense of style characterize every interpretation and arrangement. This disc features music of Renaissance Scotland--songs, dances, airs--both lively and lyrical, serious and humorous, performed by a colorful variety of period instruments and, often, the beautiful soprano of Custer LaRue. The nice thing is, you don't have to know anything about this music to thoroughly enjoy it. And considering its origins as folk music, that's just as it should be. --David Vernier

On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland, Music, Scottish Anonymous, Andrew Blackhall, Pierre Cadeac, James Lauder, Etienne du Tertre, Scottish Traditional, Baltimore Consort, Appalachia, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Early Music / Chant, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, Unknown Genre/Unspecified Instrumentation, Vocal, Vocal Music
On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • My heart is in the Highlands...
  • Awww, wow (^_^) I love this thing!
  • The BEST
  • This CD stays in rotation all the time
  • Like the Music of Scotland? You'll LOVE This!
 On the Banks of Helicon: Early Music of Scotland

Manufacturer: © 1990 Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music | Requiems
Baltimore ConsortBaltimore Consort | ( B ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Mad Buckgoat - Ancient Music of Ireland
  2. La Rocque 'n' Roll - Popular Music of Renaissance France / The Baltimore Consort
  3. Watkins Ale: Music of the English Renaissance
  4. The Ladyes Delight
  5. The Art of the Bawdy Song

ASIN: B000001Q8M
Release Date: 1992-12-01

Tracks:

  1. Over The Hills
  2. Kathren Oggie
  3. In A Garden So Green
  4. My Heartly Service
  5. Scotch Cap
  6. The Flowers Of The Forest
  7. Kilt Thy Coat, Magge
  8. Canareis
  9. I Will Not Go To Bed Till I Suld Die
  10. Jockey Loves His Moggy Dearly
  11. Our Father God Celestial
  12. Come My Children Dere
  13. On The Banks Of Helicon
  14. Prince Edward's Paven
  15. Lyk As The Dum Solsequim
  16. The Scots Marche
  17. Support Your Servand
  18. My Lord Of March Paven
  19. O Lustie May
  20. Doun In Yon Bank
  21. Branles d'Ecosse
  22. Joy To The Person Of My Love

Amazon.com

There are no more proficient or imaginative practitioners of early music than the members of the Baltimore Consort. Their programs are invariably intelligent and involving, and the performances--well, you just have to hear them. Faultless musicianship and a real sense of style characterize every interpretation and arrangement. This disc features music of Renaissance Scotland--songs, dances, airs--both lively and lyrical, serious and humorous, performed by a colorful variety of period instruments and, often, the beautiful soprano of Custer LaRue. The nice thing is, you don't have to know anything about this music to thoroughly enjoy it. And considering its origins as folk music, that's just as it should be. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars My heart is in the Highlands..........2005-09-27

The Baltimore Consort, an ensemble of six players, was founded in 1980 with the purpose of performing 'broken consort' pieces of Elizabethan origin. 'Broken' here refers to the instrumentation - treble viol/violin, flue/recorder, lute, cittern, bandore and bass viol. Their repertoire expanded beyond these beginnings to include broader British fare, as well as French and Italian music of the time. This is a happy expansion, as it made this disc of Scottish music possible.

The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could.

The music here has a definite Celtic flavour to it. This disc represents 'music fyne', traditional native songs, and English imitations. Scottish courtly music was influenced both by England and France, but put its own unique accent to it. Indeed, most of the words to the songs performed here are in Scots, a dialect of English that had a strong literary flowering in the sixteenth century.

The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. Music represented here is as early as 1538 and as late as 1719, nearly 200 years of Scottish musical history.

Added to the regular consort players are Edwin George (playing bagpipe and recorder), and Alice Kosloski as a vocalist (alto). The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Howard Bass (bandora), Mark Cudek (cittern and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute) and Chris Norman (flutes). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.

This is music that is interesting, flawlessly performed, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it both ancient and current at the same time. A wonderful recording, this is a real treat to the listener interested in Celtic music, Renaissance music, and folk music.

5 out of 5 stars Awww, wow (^_^) I love this thing!.......2003-01-22

This cd is so pretty! I love scottish music, and there isn't a single song on this alphum i don't like. And that's coming from a 14 year old girl who dresses in black and listens to Marilyn Manson...@_@....eh, I always had weird tastes. I think i'm the only one my age who listens to Malice Mizer, Dir en Grey, Gackt,Morning Musume, Enya, and Bach....AHHH! what have my parents spawned!?!? . .oh, well...
I think that only a closed minded person wouldn't like this alphum (you know, people who only like modern music and only ever wear the -latest fashions' . . .[cough] . . ) But then again, every one's entitled to their own opinion....

5 out of 5 stars The BEST.......2001-11-27

The Baltimore Consort knows that Renaissance music is not only for the people interested in scholarly music that are studying for their finals. Of course, they are using period instruments and techniques in a very informed manner. However,they realized that the most important thing about music is find.

5 out of 5 stars This CD stays in rotation all the time.......2001-08-08

I'm a Baltimore Consort junkie, and this album is entirely at fault. It's the first one I ever bought, and I got hooked. The first track starts off with pipes breaking into a lively song. Who needs to understand the words? The period instruments on this album give it a different sound; it's not classical music in the way you grow up thinking (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.). It's popular music-- of a different time. Really, really oldies. It's very hard to explain, but if you're thinking about getting a Baltimore Consort album, I'd say to start with this one. It's a great example of their style, and lots of fun to listen to.

5 out of 5 stars Like the Music of Scotland? You'll LOVE This!.......2000-12-21

If you enjoy the musical sounds of Scotland, this album is a must-have. Custer LaRue's vocals, Chris Norman's flutes, Ronn McFarlane's lutes and Edwin George's bagpipes will transport you to Renaissance Scotland. And if you've heard these tunes before by other performers, give the Baltimore Consort a chance to show you what quality Renaissance music is all about! While this album is more vocally driven than some of the Baltimore Consort's other albums, it is an enjoyable offering that will only add spice to your music shelf. The songs here are grand examples of the fine Scottish music of the 16th-18th centuries, and will be enjoyed with perhaps as much zeal as the instrumentals. There is a fine musical rendering of the Lord's Prayer in "Our Father God Celestial" on this album, a favorite of mine. There are two bagpipe tunes, which no Scottish album could be without. Lovers of Celtic music (like me) will no doubt enjoy this album, as it is yet another by the Consort that has been played and replayed in my household.

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