The Chamber Music Society of Detroit presents…
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band
Annette Bauer – recorder, dulcian, percussion
Joan Kimball – shawm, dulcian, recorder, bagpipes
Jason Priset – guitar, percussion
Bob Wiemken – dulcian, recorder, percussion
Greg Ingles – sackbut, recorder, percussion
Christa Patton – shawm, harp, bagpipes
Priscilla Smith – shawm, dulcian, recorder, bagpipes
Tom Zajac – sackbut, recorder, bagpipe, percussion
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Founded in 1980, Piffaro recreates the rustic music of the peasantry, as well as the elegant sounds of the official,
professional wind bands of the late Medieval and Renaissance periods. The group is modeled after the official
civic, chapel and court bands that were the premier professional ensembles from the 14th into the early 17th
centuries. Today’s program will feature selections from their latest project, Los Ministriles in the New World.
When the “conquistadores” of old Spain and Portugal first explored the Nuevo Mundo it was music, not words,
that resounded with the indigenous people and brought them together. Where words initially faltered, music
communicated!
FIRST SEGMENT: Espagnoleta and Gayta, anonymous Spanish dances arranged by Piffaro (01:37 to 6:55)
Espagnoleta is a popular Spanish dance from the Renaissance, found in many sources in this period. Gayta is not
only a dance, but also the melody used for a Catalan Christmas carol.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 01:37 – Three Flemish-style bagpipes begin the piece, all playing same melody initially
o 02:58 – Harmony introduced
o 04:16 – notice tempo change when percussion (hand drum, tambourine and maracas)and guitar
enter
o 04:56 – solo sections – improvised
o 06:55 – The segment ends
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Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment
o Harmony:
o Improvisation:
o Percussion: What kind of percussion do you see and hear; when does the percussion play?
SECOND SEGMENT: Cavallero de aventuras, anonymous 16th century Spain (6:56 to 12:35)
This short, fanfare-like song by an anonymous composer is from one of the largest manuscript collections of 16th
century Spanish music, the “Cancionero de Palacio.” The title means literally “The Knight of Adventure.”
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 06:56 – Explanation of a double reed and shawm
o 10:15 – Introduce piece
o 10:33 – Cavallero de aventuras begins
o 11:56 – Cavallero de aventuras ends
Concert can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education
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Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment
o Vibration: humming, feel in your throat
o Double reed sound. Possible project: make double reed out of a straw
o Instrument introduction- Shawm
 Two different sizes of shawms – soprano and alto
 Modern day instrument descended from shawm – oboe
o Fanfare
THIRD SEGMENT: Elegit eum Dominum, Gaspar Fernandes (c.1570 to c. 1629) (12:08 to 17:32)
Gaspar Fernandes was a Portugese composer who immigrated to Mexico in the later 16th century. Elegit eum
Dominum was performed in 1612 for the entrance of the Viceroy into the city of Pueblo.
Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 12:08 – Introduction to sackbut
o 13:45 – Introduce piece
o 14:48 – Elegit eum Dominum begins
o 16:18 – Elegit eum Dominum ends
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment
o Instrument introduction- Sackbut
 Modern day instrument descended from sackbut – trombone
 Brass instrument
 Saqueboute- French for push and pull
o Buzzing on mouthpiece similar to buzzing lips
FOURTH SEGMENT: Monstra te esse matrem, Hernando Franco (1532-1585) (17:55 to 36:15)
Like Fernandes, Hernando Franco was born in the Old World, in Spain, and immigrated to Guatemala in the mid16th century. He became chapel master at the big cathedral in Mexico City later in his life.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 16:28 – Introduction to dulcian
o 18:03 – Introduce piece
o 18:31 – Monstra te esse matrem begins
Starts with a single line of melody, called a chant, on sackbut
Variations on the chant by the three dulcians
o 20:06 – Monstra te esse matrem ends
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment
o Instrument introduction- Dulcian
 Ancestor of the bassoon
 Same length as alto shawm, but lower in sound
 Instrument is twice as long as it looks
 Look up the word “bore” – what is that? It is doubled over inside the
Concert can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education
FIFTH SEGMENT: Fabordones Tono 1, Philippe Rogier (c.1561-1596) (38:04 to 48:15)
Written by Flemish composer Philippe Rogier who spent much of his life working and composing in Spain. All
the reeds and brass perform together in this piece: soprano and alto shawms, two sackbuts, tenor and bass
dulcians.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 20:14 – Instrument Quiz!
o 20:50 – Fabordones Tono 1 begins
o 22:53 – Fabordones Tono 1 ends
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment:
o Alta Capella: Town wind bands found throughout continental Europe during the 15th and 16th
centuries, which typically consisted of shawms and slide trumpets or sackbuts in the earlier part
of this period, with dulcians added by the middle of the 16th century. These were not found
anywhere outside of Europe, except most notably in the New World, brought over by the Spanish.
One of the most important and influential instrumental formations in the history of Western
Music, it was the type of ensemble most often heard in medieval cities, the first in history to be
placed on civic payrolls - the predecessor of the municipal symphony orchestra. In its heyday
practically every town from Scotland to Sicily and from Poland to Portugal employed a loud wind
band. Buoyed on this wave of patronage, standards of wind playing reached new heights of
virtuosity. The best players were famed for their improvisatory skills and huge memorized
repertoires, accorded star status, and transferred for huge sums between rival European cities
and courts. The alta capella was the loudest ensemble of its day, capable of a wide range of
musical styles from tower signals and fanfares to complex polyphony, from masses and motets to
dance music and songs. This was the ensemble which played from the minstrel's galleries which
still survive in many mediaeval buildings today. It was the dance band of its time par excellence.
o Listening Project: This composition was meant to be played in church – singers would chant in
between the sections. Listen for each section – how many in all?
o Listening Project: Find some recordings of modern trombone, bassoon and oboe. Compare the
sounds with those of the sackbut, dulcian and shawm.
SIXTH SEGMENT: Turulu Neglo, Cuzo seminary, Peru ( 16th century) and
Dios italçonantzine by Don Francisco (16th century) (23:08 to 30:17)
These two pieces played on recorders, are both Christmas villancicos, jaunty songs in the vernacular, and in this
case, in the language of some of the indigenous people of Central and South America.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 23:08 – Introduction to recorder
o 25:59 – Turulu Neglo begins
o 27:43 – Turulu Neglo ends
o 27:58 – Dios itlaçonantzine begins
o 30:17 – Dios itlaçonantzine ends
Concert can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education

Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment:
o Instrument introduction- Recorder
 Recorders are softer instruments, intended for smaller spaces.
 What is a consort of instruments? Different instruments in the family. For example, alto,
tenor, and bass are part of the consort of the recorder family.
 Are any modern day instruments related to the recorder? The recorders that are played
in schools are very similar. Flutes are considered the cousin of the recorder.
o Turulu Neglo is played on three recorders: alto, tenor and bass.
o Dios itlaçonantzine is played on four recorders: alto, tenor, bass and great bass.
o Listening Project: Listen for the solo sections in Dios itlaçonantzine. Which recorders are being
played?
o Listening Project: After the solo section in the middle Dios itlaçonantzine, the players add extra
notes to vary it from the first time. Can you identify the notes they add?
SEVENTH SEGMENT: Adoramoste Señor, Francisco de la Torre (1483-1504) and
Si habrà en este baldrès, Juan del Encina (1469 – 1529) (23:08 to 30:17)
Both of these short songs are from the “Cancionerio de Palacio.” Juan del Encina was one of the most renowned
Spanish composers of the day.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 30:31 – Introduction to krumhorn
o 33:07 – Adoramoste Señor begins
o 34:40 – Adoramoste Señor ends
o 34:01 – Si habrà en este baldrès begins
o 30:17 – Si habrà en este baldrès ends
o 34:48 – Introduction to Casteñets
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment:
o Instrument introduction- Krumhorn
 Krumhorn means “curved horn.” A double reed instrument. Cap fits over the reed,
player doesn’t put lips on reed as on a shawm or dulcian. Result is no dynamics and
limited range (can’t overblow for the upper octave)
EIGHTH SEGMENT: Villano, Anonymous (early 17th century)
This dance tune was very popular in Spanish theater in the 17th century. Also, a song, the words talk about the
peasant and how he should only eat “onions and bread!”
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 36:03 – Introduction to Bagpipe
o 39:44 – Villano begins
o 42:34 – Villano ends
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment:
o Instrument introduction- Bagpipe
 Three instruments in one! With the aid of the bag, player can sound all three at once.
Concert can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education
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Each pipe has its own double reed, hidden like the krumhorn reed, so that the player
doesn’t put lips on it.
Main pipe is the chanter, which plays the melody, like the krumhorn.
Two other pipes each play one steady pitch called a drone that acts as a simple
accompaniment to the melody.
NINETH SEGMENT: La dame le demande, Antonio de Cabezón (c. 1510-1566),
Espagnoleta, Anonymous (16th century), and
Chacona: “Una sarao de la chacona,” Juan Arañes (died c. 1649)
La dame le demande was originally written for organ, but has been transcribed and arranged for alto and tenor
recorders, sackbut, bass dulcian, harp and guitar for today’s performance.
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 42:46 – Introduction to Harp
o 44:20 – Introduction to Guitar
o 47:24 – La dame le demande begins
o 50:42 – La dame le demande ends
o 50:54 – Espagnoleta begins
o 53:21 – Espagnoleta ends
o 53:33 – Chacona: “Una sarao de la chacona” begins
o 54:51 – Chacona: “Una sarao de la chacona” ends
Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment:
o Instrument introduction- Harp
 Harps were popular as an accompaniment to tales told by troubadours to entertain
noblemen.
o Instrument introduction- Guitar
 Guitars usually have six strings. E-A-D-G-B-E. Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie!
 This guitar is a predecessor to the present guitar and is smaller and only has five strings.
A-D-G-B-E. Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie!
o Terms for types of playing:
 Rasqueado strumming, popular with countryside folk.
 Punteado, plucking. This technique also used on lute
o The chacona was a popular dance in Spain, brought to the New World and then back again
FINAL SEGMENT: Instrument Quiz, Questions & Answers, Canarios, Anonymous (16th century) (54:48 to 61:50)
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Detailed Timeline for this segment
o 54:33 – Instrument Quiz
o 56:00 – Questions and Answers
o 1:00:52 – Canarios begins
o 1:03:00 – Canarios ends
o 1:03:14 – Performance ends
Concert can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education