A further idea for 2015 is to exploit “Piae cantiones“, a collection of late medieval songs which were sung by students in Turku, and can easily be adapted to string/drone instruments. The annals of Turku castle mention also a musician called “Mikael harpolekare” who performed (probably court music) at the Christmas party at Turku castle in 1580 – if he was not familiar with Piae cantiones himself then he must at least have heard them from the student choir of Turku cathedral school that sang at every Christmas party. The collection appeared first in print in 1582, but several of these songs existed several decades or even centuries before. For example “Tempus adest floridum” (PC 74) that can be traced back to the 13th century (CB 142). The 13th century lyrics are less religious and more erotically explicit…

We have been singing and playing some of these songs on our instruments before at previous NHMs with Patrik Weckman, Pekka Toivanen, Erik Ask-Upmark and Josef hörpuleikari. For example
– “Gaudete gaudete”
– “Scribere proposui”
– “In stadio laboris“