GENTLE MAIDEN CD

The Recorder, having evolved from what is commonly known as the flute, came into its own during the 14th Century. It is not difficult to learn and based upon its size and the number of fingerholes can produce a wide range of notes. During Renaissance times the Recorder was used in ensembles and orchestras and continued to grow in popularity through the Baroque Era before almost disappearing. The Recorder was basically rediscovered in the 20th Century and remains widely popular today.

The Harp is one of the most ancient of instruments and continued in popularity throughout the Renaissance Period. Harps use open strings and the range of any given Harp is dependent upon the number of strings. A Harp of approximately thirty inches in height could be easily managed and was ideally suited as an accompaniment to touring Minstrels, Troubadours and Trouvere renditions.

Precious little definitive information on the Bagpipe exsits, prior to 1619, when Praetorious wrote his famous, illustrated book on organography. It is evident that bagpipes had been in existence for, likely, centuries prior to 1619, based upon depictions of the instrument. Originally, a favorite of marching armies, the "warpipe" was only capable of a single octave. Apparently, if you found yourself marching at the head of an army and playing a bagpipe, one octave was about all a person could handle! After all, how many octaves are needed for marching musical accompaniment... 

The Oilleann bagpipes came along in the 16th Century, featuring two octaves and powered by a bellows. Thus, greater range and a greater field of musical accompaniment were realized, carrying the bagpipe into modern times.