The English weather has arrived and it is time to move the electronic equipment indoors. Miraculously a music store appears on the horizon. Elkin Music, located at 31 Exchange Street in Norwich, England, is a wonderful surprise. The music store is of special interest to classically trained musicians because it[…]
From the blog
Norwich Sculpture Commemorates Elizabethan Performer Will Kemp
Norwich, England is a wonderful city filled with history dating back to the Roman Empire and before. There are glimpses of it everywhere, including remnants of ancient walls and even an intact Norman style keep. One reminder is this carved log, which stands near the bandstand that Glenn Miller performed[…]
Bandstand in Norwich England is a Tribute to Swing Era Great
Recently, we had the opportunity to attend a wedding near Norwich, England. While there we stumbled upon a very interesting park called Chapelfield Gardens. In the center of this quant park stands a nicely appointed Victorian era bandstand. At the time, I was primarily captivated by a young Monkey Puzzle[…]
Serendipitous Player Piano
Sometimes you find enthralling historic music in the most unexpected places. Take for example this player piano made by the Western Electric Piano Company. We were traveling back to the New York City area from a performance at Utz Terrace in Hanover, PA when we decided to make an unscheduled[…]
Turkeylony From William Ballet’s Lute Book
Turkeylony, sometimes spelled Turkeyloney was a popular dance from the renaissance era of King James I and Queen Elizabeth I. There is no certainty where the name originated. It has been surmised that the word Turkeylony is derived from the Italian Tordiglione. A Tordiglione was a type of Italian Galliard which is a[…]
The Role of Music in Wedding Ceremonies During the Renaissance
Two Newlyweds dance to the sounds of a Violinist during a wedding from the time of the renaissance. There were several factors influencing the music that was being performed for weddings in England during the mid to late 1500s and early 1600s. The first major influences were the Protestant Reformation and Puritanical beliefs. Another[…]
Review of SmartScore X Pro
I’ve recently purchased a copy of Musitek’s SmartScrore X Pro . I Primarily bought it to publish a few songs that I am referencing in a forthcoming article about wedding music from the time of the Renaissance. I didn’t want to run into any copyright infringements for reproducing 500 year[…]
Violinist + Trumpeter = A Rare and Affordable Combination
One of the things that sets Harmonious Music apart from other wedding ceremony and cocktail acts in the New York Metropolitan Area is the violinist’s ability to also play trumpet. This added skill comes in particularly useful during wedding ceremonies. Imagine this scenario: Your guests are being seated during the[…]
DJs Versus Bands at Your Wedding Six Myths DJs Use To Sell You Their Services
If you think that you are better off hiring a DJ instead of live musicians for your wedding or special event, you should think again. There is a never-ending debate between musicians and DJs regarding which service vendors are better to hire. Most of the arguments that favor DJs are[…]
Adolphe Sax, his Saxhorn and the People Who Made It Popular During The War Between The States
Written and Illustrated by Eric Ortner, Originally Published in The Civil War Courier Some of the most important social activities in the mid 19th Century were performances from community music ensembles. Around the time of the American Civil War the ensembles were more often than not brass bands. The great[…]