Norfolk’s Heritage Inspires New Concert

Early music specialists, Minstrels Gallery, have been inspired by Norfolk’s amazing survival of medieval stained glass to create a new concert.

“Music in the Glass” looks at the depiction of musical instruments in stained glass windows across the county; recreating, animating and bringing to life music that has been sealed in glass for over 500 years.

Musical instruments are often pictured in stained glass being played by angel musicians.  Norfolk has the greatest survival of medieval musical angels anywhere in the country.

Developed in collaboration with Hungate Medieval Art, the concert is illustrated by beautiful photographic images of Norfolk stained glass.  Glass from over 20 parish churches – including Shelton, East Barsham, Ketteringham and Stradsett- is featured.

Experts believe that the musical angels – often found in the top part of the stained glass window known as the tracery lights- formed a heavenly host over the characters beneath.  Medieval people associated heaven with music.  In the medieval mystery plays, music may have been used to announce the arrival of characters with otherworldly characteristics.

The musical angels are also a reference to theological teaching which established music as an important part of medieval worship.  For example, Psalm 150 says “Praise him with the trumpet, Praise him with the harp and lyre”.  These instruments can be seen being played by angels in stained glass windows in Norfolk.

In fact, the angels play a full range of medieval instruments – including the psaltery, lute, harp, gittern, viol, shawm, bladder pipe and nakers- and this range is reflected in the Minstrels concert.

As many of these instruments will be unfamiliar a key part of the concert will be the chance to talk to the musicians about the instruments they play.

“Early music has a very different sound quality to that of a modern orchastra, string quartet or wind ensemble because of the different materials and construction techniques used in the making of the instruments. Minstrels Gallery play carefully reconstructed copies of medieval instruments.”  Tony Scheuregger, Minstrels Gallery

“There is something about the stunning beauty and intensity of colour in stained glass that provides inspiration for the modern instrument copyist and certainly informs the performance of this wonderfully colourful and vibrant music”.

The concert premiers at Hungate Medieval Art on Thursday April 8th 2010 at 1pm.
Tickets are priced at £6 and are available before the event from Hungate Medieval Art at St Peter Hungate Church, Princes Street, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10.00-16.00 or T. 01603 623254 as well as on the day.

Hungate Medieval Art have beautiful high resolution images of stained glass angels playing musical instruments as well as images of Minstrels Gallery themselves.

The Minstrels are also available to do radio and television interviews.
Please direct all enquiries to:
Dale Copley, Centre Manager, 01603 623254 or 07841870445
Dale.Copley@hungate.org.uk