Currently listening to … early music from “ESTAMPIE”
A few months ago I heard an interview on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Pipeline” program with Thomas Zöller, a German student of the Scottish bagpipes. Indeed, Zöller was about to graduate with a BA degree in Piping (I forget the exact name of the degree) from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Zöller mentioned that he played with a German early music group, “ESTAMPIE”. A track composed by Zöller, “Sine Nomine”, was played. I was hooked. I ordered the CD “Signum” from Amazon (I’ve given up trying to order anything even slightly unusual in Armidale).
The CD duly arrived, having been supplied to Amazon by ISOTANK MUSIC in Philadelphia. [Aside: A German CD, ordered from Australia, sourced in the USA, couriered (presumably) to Hong Kong, then parcel-posted to me from HK].
The CD contains a selection of sung and instrumental pieces. Most are from the 11th to 13 centuries. A time when man in Europe lived in fear of the end of the world, and the Church was all powerful. I was put in mind of pieces from a similar period in time, a time when many made Pilgrimage. The songs and chants from the “Red Book of Montserrat“, for example.
More on Thomas Zöller can be found here, and information about “Estampie” here.
A few snippets of Thomas Zöller’s performances can be found here. I look forward to hearing more from Zöller in time.
