A concert of Renaissance songs and dances performed by the San Antonio Recorder Quartet
A concert of Renaissance songs and dances performed by the San Antonio Recorder Quartet
The recorder was the dominant indoor woodwind instrument during the Renaissance and sets of recorders were used to support a wide variety of music. On June 19 The San Antonio Recorder Quartet will present a program exploring the role of the recorder in 15th and 16th century music. Renaissance music was largely a vocal art, and a rich repertoire of secular and sacred music has survived. Recorders—made in sizes to match the ranges of the human voice—were used to support or replace voices in songs performed as court entertainment, and recorders were used in churches to support sacred music when an organ was not available. Recorders also provided music for dancing. The San Antonio Recorder quartet will perform a variety of secular songs, sacred psalms, hymns, and anthems, and dance music.