Early Voices 2024: Pilgrimage
Held over 11-12th May, the 2024 Festival explored early music through the tradition of pilgrimage, a practice widespread across medieval Europe which continues into the present day. Music has long been essential to the experiences of those who pursue spiritual and personal paths through pilgrimage.
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Medieval codices like the Llibre Vermell (Montserrat, 1370) and the Codex Calixtinus (Compostela, XII century) collect the songs these pilgrims would have sung along the way. The 2024 Festival programme explored these works and their wider context. The Festival brought musicians and experts from the locality together with specialists from elsewhere in the UK and Europe. ​
The Pavane Early Music Consort performed a series of pilgrimage inspired songs, with the help of an array of historically accurate reproduction instruments, such as recorders, shawm, lute, virginal and various percussions.
This concert was followed by a show-and-tell led by Pavane and ContraBand together, where the audience had the possibility to observe and understand these historic instruments close up.
The opening talk by Anna Cristoni-Apel explained the history and culture of Medieval Pilgrimage Music, setting the scene for the weekend's music.
On Saturday evening, The Fountain Singers and ContraBand performed the complete Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, a crucial collection of pilgrimage songs and one of the most important codices of the Middle Ages. This was the first ever performance in Wales of the full collection.
The Elizabeth Singers gave an uplifting performance entitled "Ave Maria", focused on Marian devotion and pilgrimage throughout the centuries.
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The final concert of the festival centred on music of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. A duo from the Ensemble San Pietro made a special visit from Italy to showcase this fascinating repertoire.
This concert was followed by an interesting talk on the Medieval English Song by Prof. Ad Putter, Professor of Medieval English at the University of Bristol.
