Origins of music…

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1st fully acknowledged era in classical music was the ‘Renaissance Period‘ (1400 AD).

However, all sorts of music existed before. Referred as ‘Early period’ for a 1000 years.

Origins of music

Almost everything composed was for human voice, partly because of the influence of church and many musical instruments had yet to be invented.

Hurrian Hymn on a clay tablet inscribed with Cuneiform text, is one of the oldest surviving melodies (3400 years old).

Hurrian Hymn music

‘Once I have endeared the deity, she will love me in her heart,
the offer I bring may wholly cover my sin,
bringing sesame oil may work on my behalf in awe may I’

Oldest recorded English song ‘summer is acumen in’ (1200 AD).

Summer song 

Song of Seikilos engraved on a tombstone by a grieving husband, 2 millennia ago. Oldest complete composition, heart-breaking. 

Song of Seikilos

Instruments used were recorder, trumpet, bagpipe. An instrument called shawm was popular, primitive oboe.

Early versions of keyboard instruments like harpsichord, began to appear.

Prominent composers were Guido d’Arezzo, Hildegard of Bingen, Kassiani, Guillaume de Machaut.

Hildegard of Bingen was a remarkable saint, composer and poet.

Kassiani was an abbess and composer. Legendary story of Emperor Theophilus, wanting to marry her. He said to Kassia, “through a women came forth baser things” (Eve eating forbidden fruit). She replied “through a woman came forth better things, Christ’s mother Virgin Mary”. She became a nun, instead.

Early music video

Guillaume de Machaut

Hildegard of Bingen music

Kassiani hymns

Guido d’Arezzo 

Hildegard music

Summer has come in,
Loudly sing, cuckoo!
The seed grows and the meadow blooms
And the wood springs anew,
Sing, cuckoo!
The ewe bleats after the lamb
The cow lows after the calf.
The bullock stirs, the goat farts,
Merrily sing, Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo, well you sing, cuckoo;
Don’t ever you stop now,
Ground (sung by two lowest voices)
Sing cuckoo now. Sing, Cuckoo.
Sing Cuckoo. Sing cuckoo now!