The Musica Consort Vera

            
             The Music Consort Vera held in the Memorial Auditorium introduced Renaissance music for the first time to me. Although I do not attend concerts frequently, I enjoyed hearing and learning this rendition of early music. I really appreciated hearing something new yet the actual music itself I found unpleasant. I noticed that the concert was less formal than other concerts I have attended, which made the atmosphere very comfortable. Also having the conductor, John Kitts-Turner, speak to the audience to explain the different instruments and pieces was very helpful as we followed along in the program. Since so few of us listen to Renaissance as entertainment, Kitts-Turner's brief explanations also created a learning environment for those who had no idea of Renaissance music.
             Renaissance music has a unique sound but I would not listen to it for leisure. It takes time for the ear to train well to hear such intricate tunes and sounds. I found the sounds of the instruments to be somewhat annoying and overdone. Many of the songs sounded completely out of tune and key. I could hear repetitive monotonous sounds that became irritating. I mentally appreciated the music but I could not physically enjoy the music and sounds of the instruments. Much of the music was for the most part high pitched at a very fast beat. I prefer a mellow and paced beat at a lower key. I did like the female vocals of the songs. It took away from the droning sounds and added more essence to the music. The vocals just sounded more soothing and charming to ear. I did assume though that the music would be monophonic due to the lack of instruments back then, but each piece played was polyphonic with many different instruments. Overall, I respect each instrument for its exclusive sound and each piece as a musical piece of art. .
             During the concert, I realized that the pieces were very complicated with very fast songs and complex sounding melodies.