A major new study piecing together the intriguing but fragmentary evidence surrounding the lives of minstrels to highlight how these seemingly peripheral figures were keenly involved with all aspects... Read More
Description
A major new study piecing together the intriguing but fragmentary evidence surrounding the lives of minstrels to highlight how these seemingly peripheral figures were keenly involved with all aspects of late medieval communities.
Minstrels were a common sight and sound in the late Middle Ages. Aristocrats, knights and ladies heard them on great occasions (such as Edward I's wedding feast for his daughter Elizabeth in 1296) and in quieter moments in their chambers; town-dwellers heard and saw them in civic processions (when their sound drew attention to the spectacle); and even in the countryside people heard them at weddings, church-ales and other parish celebrations. But who were the minstrels, and what did they do? How did they live, and how easily did they make a living? How did they perform, and in what conditions? The evidence is intriguing but fragmentary, including literary and iconographic sources and, most importantly, the financial records of royal and aristocratic households and of towns. These offer many insights, although they are often hard to fit into any coherent picture of the minstrels' lives and their place in society. It is easy to see the minstrels as peripheral figures, entertainers who had no central place in the medieval world. Yet they were full members of it, interacting with the ordinary people around them, as well as with the ruling classes: carrying letters and important verbal messages, some lending huge sums of money to the king (to finance Henry V's Agincourt campaign in 1415, for instance), some regular and necessary civic servants, some committing crimes or suffering the crimes of others. In this book Rastall and Taylor bring to bear the available evidence to enlarge and enrich our view of the minstrel in late medieval society.
Minstrels were a common sight and sound in the late Middle Ages. Aristocrats, knights and ladies heard them on great occasions (such as Edward I's wedding feast for his daughter Elizabeth in 1296) and in quieter moments in their chambers; town-dwellers heard and saw them in civic processions (when their sound drew attention to the spectacle); and even in the countryside people heard them at weddings, church-ales and other parish celebrations. But who were the minstrels, and what did they do? How did they live, and how easily did they make a living? How did they perform, and in what conditions? The evidence is intriguing but fragmentary, including literary and iconographic sources and, most importantly, the financial records of royal and aristocratic households and of towns. These offer many insights, although they are often hard to fit into any coherent picture of the minstrels' lives and their place in society. It is easy to see the minstrels as peripheral figures, entertainers who had no central place in the medieval world. Yet they were full members of it, interacting with the ordinary people around them, as well as with the ruling classes: carrying letters and important verbal messages, some lending huge sums of money to the king (to finance Henry V's Agincourt campaign in 1415, for instance), some regular and necessary civic servants, some committing crimes or suffering the crimes of others. In this book Rastall and Taylor bring to bear the available evidence to enlarge and enrich our view of the minstrel in late medieval society.
Details
- Price: $54.95
- Pages: 476
- Carton Quantity: 20
- Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
- Imprint: Boydell Press
- Publication Date: 4th March 2025
- Trim Size: 6.14 x 9.21 in
- Illustration Note: 10 music exx., 5 maps and 12 b/w illus.
- ISBN: 9781837652556
- Format: Paperback
- BISACs:
MUSIC / History & Criticism
HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Norman Conquest to Late Medieval (1066-1485)
Reviews
Rastall and Taylor contribute to the continuing efforts to move away from romanticized images of the Middle Ages peddled by modern myth. In doing so they reveal just how little we concretely know about medieval minstrelsy, but cement its study as a fascinating window through which we can gain a deeper understanding of the people and culture of late medieval England.- TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Minstrels and Minstrelsy is testament to Rastall's lifelong dedication to the study of this topic. Rastall and Taylor have gathered and presented a wealth of evidence with skill and nuance, and have reached honest conclusions. This book greatly increases our understanding of the day-to-day lives of minstrels.- EARLY MUSIC
In short, this volume sets out what we know and what we still need to work out, presenting this material in an engaging and precise manner. Its utility as a reference tool cannot be overstated, but most of all it is an engaging and stimulating read for anyone interested in the period.- SPECULUM
Rastall and Taylor remind the reader that much remains to be done to expand their account, but the book is certainly an impressive consolidation of research undertaken by these authors and others before them, and is written with the confidence and clarity of those who have spent a considerable proportion of their careers documenting minstrelsy and other musical practices.- MUSIC & LETTERS
This welcome study, both detailed and comprehensive, surveys the current state of the field and demonstrates that minstrel performers played a more significant role in late medieval English society than is often recognized.- JOURNAL OF BRITISH STUDES
This excellent book is not only about exploding myths, but also about a careful reassessment of the evidence available. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to delve into medieval music-making.- FOLK MUSIC JOURNAL
Of consistently high quality, with a very thorough bibliography, helpful tables, and a modest number of black and white illustrations. Anyone with an interest in medieval performers, the facts of their historical existence, and their representation in literature, will be grateful for the expertise and erudition offered here.- YEARBOOK OF LANGLAND STUDIES
I recommend the book to anyone interested in minstrels and their performance conditions in late medieval England. Libraries supporting literary, music, performance, and medieval and Renaissance studies programs ought to secure a copy. The text's presentation and integration of illustrations match the quality we have come to expect from The Boydell Press.- SMART
There is so much more interesting information than I have been able to include in this review and, if the lives of minstrels and their music and instruments fascinates you then this book is definitely worth reading.- FACHRS
Author Bio
Table of Contents
Part I. Minstrels and Minstrelsy in the Elite Households
1. The royal households and their minstrels
2. The life of a royal minstrel
3. Recruitment, training and retirement
4. Minstrelsy at Court
5. Minstrelsy in noble and ecclesiastical households
Part II . Urban Minstrelsy
6. Minstrelsy in the towns
7. Civic minstrels
Part III. On the Road
8. Minstrels on the road
9. Minstrel itineraries
10. The regulation and protection of minstrels
Part IV . Minstrel Performance
11. The enigma of the minstrels' songs - Andrew Taylor
12. Professional recitation before the fourteenth century - Andrew Taylor
13. Minstrels and heralds and chivalric fame - Andrew Taylor
14. Instruments and performers
15. The instrumental repertory in England
Envoi
Bibliography
Index
1. The royal households and their minstrels
2. The life of a royal minstrel
3. Recruitment, training and retirement
4. Minstrelsy at Court
5. Minstrelsy in noble and ecclesiastical households
Part II . Urban Minstrelsy
6. Minstrelsy in the towns
7. Civic minstrels
Part III. On the Road
8. Minstrels on the road
9. Minstrel itineraries
10. The regulation and protection of minstrels
Part IV . Minstrel Performance
11. The enigma of the minstrels' songs - Andrew Taylor
12. Professional recitation before the fourteenth century - Andrew Taylor
13. Minstrels and heralds and chivalric fame - Andrew Taylor
14. Instruments and performers
15. The instrumental repertory in England
Envoi
Bibliography
Index
A major new study piecing together the intriguing but fragmentary evidence surrounding the lives of minstrels to highlight how these seemingly peripheral figures were keenly involved with all aspects of late medieval communities.
Minstrels were a common sight and sound in the late Middle Ages. Aristocrats, knights and ladies heard them on great occasions (such as Edward I's wedding feast for his daughter Elizabeth in 1296) and in quieter moments in their chambers; town-dwellers heard and saw them in civic processions (when their sound drew attention to the spectacle); and even in the countryside people heard them at weddings, church-ales and other parish celebrations. But who were the minstrels, and what did they do? How did they live, and how easily did they make a living? How did they perform, and in what conditions? The evidence is intriguing but fragmentary, including literary and iconographic sources and, most importantly, the financial records of royal and aristocratic households and of towns. These offer many insights, although they are often hard to fit into any coherent picture of the minstrels' lives and their place in society. It is easy to see the minstrels as peripheral figures, entertainers who had no central place in the medieval world. Yet they were full members of it, interacting with the ordinary people around them, as well as with the ruling classes: carrying letters and important verbal messages, some lending huge sums of money to the king (to finance Henry V's Agincourt campaign in 1415, for instance), some regular and necessary civic servants, some committing crimes or suffering the crimes of others. In this book Rastall and Taylor bring to bear the available evidence to enlarge and enrich our view of the minstrel in late medieval society.
Minstrels were a common sight and sound in the late Middle Ages. Aristocrats, knights and ladies heard them on great occasions (such as Edward I's wedding feast for his daughter Elizabeth in 1296) and in quieter moments in their chambers; town-dwellers heard and saw them in civic processions (when their sound drew attention to the spectacle); and even in the countryside people heard them at weddings, church-ales and other parish celebrations. But who were the minstrels, and what did they do? How did they live, and how easily did they make a living? How did they perform, and in what conditions? The evidence is intriguing but fragmentary, including literary and iconographic sources and, most importantly, the financial records of royal and aristocratic households and of towns. These offer many insights, although they are often hard to fit into any coherent picture of the minstrels' lives and their place in society. It is easy to see the minstrels as peripheral figures, entertainers who had no central place in the medieval world. Yet they were full members of it, interacting with the ordinary people around them, as well as with the ruling classes: carrying letters and important verbal messages, some lending huge sums of money to the king (to finance Henry V's Agincourt campaign in 1415, for instance), some regular and necessary civic servants, some committing crimes or suffering the crimes of others. In this book Rastall and Taylor bring to bear the available evidence to enlarge and enrich our view of the minstrel in late medieval society.
- Price: $54.95
- Pages: 476
- Carton Quantity: 20
- Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
- Imprint: Boydell Press
- Publication Date: 4th March 2025
- Trim Size: 6.14 x 9.21 in
- Illustrations Note: 10 music exx., 5 maps and 12 b/w illus.
- ISBN: 9781837652556
- Format: Paperback
- BISACs:
MUSIC / History & Criticism
HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Norman Conquest to Late Medieval (1066-1485)
Rastall and Taylor contribute to the continuing efforts to move away from romanticized images of the Middle Ages peddled by modern myth. In doing so they reveal just how little we concretely know about medieval minstrelsy, but cement its study as a fascinating window through which we can gain a deeper understanding of the people and culture of late medieval England.– TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Minstrels and Minstrelsy is testament to Rastall's lifelong dedication to the study of this topic. Rastall and Taylor have gathered and presented a wealth of evidence with skill and nuance, and have reached honest conclusions. This book greatly increases our understanding of the day-to-day lives of minstrels.– EARLY MUSIC
In short, this volume sets out what we know and what we still need to work out, presenting this material in an engaging and precise manner. Its utility as a reference tool cannot be overstated, but most of all it is an engaging and stimulating read for anyone interested in the period.– SPECULUM
Rastall and Taylor remind the reader that much remains to be done to expand their account, but the book is certainly an impressive consolidation of research undertaken by these authors and others before them, and is written with the confidence and clarity of those who have spent a considerable proportion of their careers documenting minstrelsy and other musical practices.– MUSIC & LETTERS
This welcome study, both detailed and comprehensive, surveys the current state of the field and demonstrates that minstrel performers played a more significant role in late medieval English society than is often recognized.– JOURNAL OF BRITISH STUDES
This excellent book is not only about exploding myths, but also about a careful reassessment of the evidence available. This book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to delve into medieval music-making.– FOLK MUSIC JOURNAL
Of consistently high quality, with a very thorough bibliography, helpful tables, and a modest number of black and white illustrations. Anyone with an interest in medieval performers, the facts of their historical existence, and their representation in literature, will be grateful for the expertise and erudition offered here.– YEARBOOK OF LANGLAND STUDIES
I recommend the book to anyone interested in minstrels and their performance conditions in late medieval England. Libraries supporting literary, music, performance, and medieval and Renaissance studies programs ought to secure a copy. The text's presentation and integration of illustrations match the quality we have come to expect from The Boydell Press.– SMART
There is so much more interesting information than I have been able to include in this review and, if the lives of minstrels and their music and instruments fascinates you then this book is definitely worth reading.– FACHRS
Part I. Minstrels and Minstrelsy in the Elite Households
1. The royal households and their minstrels
2. The life of a royal minstrel
3. Recruitment, training and retirement
4. Minstrelsy at Court
5. Minstrelsy in noble and ecclesiastical households
Part II . Urban Minstrelsy
6. Minstrelsy in the towns
7. Civic minstrels
Part III. On the Road
8. Minstrels on the road
9. Minstrel itineraries
10. The regulation and protection of minstrels
Part IV . Minstrel Performance
11. The enigma of the minstrels' songs - Andrew Taylor
12. Professional recitation before the fourteenth century - Andrew Taylor
13. Minstrels and heralds and chivalric fame - Andrew Taylor
14. Instruments and performers
15. The instrumental repertory in England
Envoi
Bibliography
Index
1. The royal households and their minstrels
2. The life of a royal minstrel
3. Recruitment, training and retirement
4. Minstrelsy at Court
5. Minstrelsy in noble and ecclesiastical households
Part II . Urban Minstrelsy
6. Minstrelsy in the towns
7. Civic minstrels
Part III. On the Road
8. Minstrels on the road
9. Minstrel itineraries
10. The regulation and protection of minstrels
Part IV . Minstrel Performance
11. The enigma of the minstrels' songs - Andrew Taylor
12. Professional recitation before the fourteenth century - Andrew Taylor
13. Minstrels and heralds and chivalric fame - Andrew Taylor
14. Instruments and performers
15. The instrumental repertory in England
Envoi
Bibliography
Index