Music

Master Crispin Sexi was laurelled for being a composer. He has written numerous pieces of music in medieval and renaissance styles. Some of his works are to be found here.

Publications

These publications are available for sale on market day at Rowany Festival. Or you can email Crispin.

The Red Book of Lochac volumes I and II are collections of music written by citizens of Lochac.

Seven Virtues (2008) is a collection of three-part pavans and galliards in different modes, intended as background music for a feast.

The Fayrest Booke of Madrigals (etc.) (2010) is a selection of 15 Elizabethan-style part songs. You can also purchase the CD of the book, recorded by In Dulci.

Crispin Sexi's Lute Books (2019, 2020) are selections of easy pieces arranged by Crispin.

Original Compositions

The music here written in period style comes in various formats. You might need the Noteworthy reader.

Vocal:

• Nowe Welcome Somor: 14thC Isorythmic Motet. Noteworthy, Midi, Png.
  David Yardley has kindly recorded himself singing Nowe Welcome Somor - 943KB MP3
• Por l'amour de li: 13thC Trouvere. Noteworthy, Midi, Png.
• Sing You and My Voice Doth Die: 16thC Madrigal. Noteworthy, Midi, Png page 1 page 2.
• Hot Summer's Day/Westron Wynd/Agincourt: A set of 16thC Rounds. These are typeset using fonts made by Jeff Lee, plus a few block letters pinched and modified from Thomas Ravenscroft's books of rounds.Png (small), Png (large)
• My Hedgerow: A 16thC round. Noteworthy, Png.
• Ah, Me!: A 16thC part-song. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi. Lute version Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Lullay, Lullay, My Little Child: A lullaby. The words are from Medieval Children by Nicholas Orme (2001). Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Southron Gaard: A patriotic song commissioned by Mistress Roheisa le Sarjent. The style is 13th-14thC English, very much like "Sumer Is Icumin In". Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Come, Come, My Friends: A 16thC part-song. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Take a Peck of Flower: A 16thC part-song. See also this additional information. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• By Saint Joce: a 14thC Motet about food. Noteworthy.
  David Yardley has kindly recorded himself singing By Saint Joce - 672KB MP3
• Droplets Run: A short 16thC madrigal. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Time is Hours: A 16thC madrigal about wasting hours. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Oh Woe Is Me: A 16thC madrigal, written as an exercise to see how long I could stretch out a simple phrase. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Said Shepherd Lad: A 16thC lute song (with simple chords). Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• A Fellow Who Fancied: A round with verses. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• I Think On Love: A 16thC part-song, complaining about love. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• On Lush Vines: A 16thC round, about wine. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• All the Yeare in Greate Shippes: A 16thC part-song, based on information from "A Speciall Direction for Divers Trades" c. 1575-85, published in Tudor Economic Documents Volume III by R.H. Tawney and E. Power. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• I Caught Her Glance: A 16thC 4 part song. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• To Love Forlorn: A 16thC madrigal about seeds. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• I Shall Not Sing: A 16thC duet. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Noverint Omnes: A 16thC polychoral motet based on the Lochac Laurel ceremony text translated into Latin. 12 voices. Also a duet. Read all about about it here.
• A Chore So Mere And Mild: A short mopey 16thC madrigal for 4 voices. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Lorem Ipsum: A 16thC polychoral motet based on 15thC filler text from Cicero. 9 voices. Noteworthy, PDF.
• Oh My God: A 16thC motet for 5 voices. PDF.
• Gush Forth Mine Eyes: Definitely a mopey 16thC madrigal for 4 voices. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• What Ho the Jolly Farmer: Country life in 3 voices. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• How Furtively I Pinched a Tart: A fun little partsong about food. 4 voices. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.

Instrumental:

• Gavotte: a short gavotte. Midi, Png.
• Seven Virtues: A set of Elizabethan dances in various modes. Useful as background music, though you could dance to them too. All have soprano, alto and tenor parts.
• Fortitude: Pavan (Myxolydian in G) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Chastity: Galliard (Ionian in C) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Faith: Pavan (Phrygian in E) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Charity: Passamezzo Pavan (Aeolian in A) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Ruth: Galliard (Dorian in G) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Prudence: Gavotte (Ionian in F) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Humility: Galliard (Aeolian in D) Noteworthy, Midi.
• Ballo di Aneala: 16thC Itallian variations on a theme. This was written for the investiture of Lachlahn and Jane, Baron and Baroness of Aneala. Noteworthy, Midi, PDF.
• Neverlet: An easy lute piece. PDF.
• Pavan: Another easy lute piece. PDF.
• Galliard: Yes, 'tis an easy lute piece. PDF.
• Two Gentle Pavanes: Written for Joan Sutton on her birthday.
• Arranged for lute: PDF.
• Arranged for recorder: Pavane I PDF, Pavane II PDF.
• Arranged for computer: Pavane I MP3, Pavane II MP3.
• More Fancie Be: 'tis a lute piece. PDF.
• Pavan Alight: A little pavan for S/A/T recorders. Noteworthy, Midi, PDF.
• Happenstance: Another lute piece. PDF.
• Recicada: An exercise in suspended intervals for the lute. PDF.
• Old Pavan: Yet a lute piece. PDF.
• Young Galiard: And this a lute piece too. PDF.
• Novello: A canon in seven settings. Read all about about it here.

Ballads (Oh No!):

• St Aldhelm's Song: Written as a prize for the College of St Aldhelm. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• I Once Knew a Sailor Man: Good for singing while washing dishes. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• My Bow: From the point of view of a combat archer in Lochac. Noteworthy, PDF, Midi.
• Macha: About an otherworldly woman from Irish mythology, based on bits from a few different stories. Noteworthy, PDF, lyrics, Midi.
• The Bag Song: It set out to be educational, but ended up a drinking song. Noteworthy, PDF, lyrics, Midi.

Music for Lochac Royalty

Crispin has written a bunch of music to commemorate reigns in the Kingdom of Lochac. Those pieces can be found on the Bardic Guild Website on the "Reigns" page.

Compositional Techniques

Here are some useful articles on composing music.

Die Bassmethode: A system for writing a 16thC bass part.

Mathematical Musick: The Contrapuntal Formula of Dr. Thomas Campion, an article by Jeff Lee.

Two Parts in One: William Bathe's method for writing canon above a ground.

The Eighth Part: A system for 16thC composition for eight or more parts, based on Campion's formula.

Individual works are copyright by Jaysen Ollerenshaw, but permission is granted for non-profit use.

Joan & Crispin's Homepage: https://wotnot.squanderlings.com/