Description
Following the great success of the Sackpfeifen-Fibel, the first comprehensive textbook for the medieval bagpipe, we are pleased to present a groundbreaking new collection of sheet music “50 Melodies”. This collection promises to enrich every musician’s repertoire with fresh melodies and new ideas.
From the idea to realization
Initiated by the renowned musicians Brian Haase (FABULA) and Thomas Zöller (formerly Estampie), the collection “50 Melodies” was created in response to the noticeable lack of high-quality sheet music for medieval instruments. Their collaboration at the bagpipe academy in Hofheim, coupled with the desire to share their own playing techniques and musical ideas, led to the creation of this unique collection of sheet music. Over the course of almost a year, they collected, arranged and perfected material, supported by advice from colleagues on specific repertoire questions.
A kaleidoscope of melodies
At the center of this collection are “50 melodies” for the medieval (market) bagpipe, taken from the rich traditional repertoire of Brittany, Ireland, Italy, the Balkans and Scotland. In addition to these traditional gems, there are also songs from the Cantigas de Santa Maria and innovative compositions by the authors and other musicians. All pieces were recorded by Thomas Zöller and Brian Haase and are available to listen to and play via an online database.
About the notation
The collection “50 Melodies” is based on the proven ornamentation system of the bagpipe primer, which is not only easy to understand, but can also be flexibly transferred to other instruments such as hurdy-gurdy or shawm. This allows the ornaments to be modified or omitted as required, which underlines the universality of the collection.
Multilingual explanations
All texts and explanations in “50 Melodies” are available in both German and English to ensure broad accessibility. The publication of further volumes is also planned in order to continuously expand the repertoire.
This collection of sheet music “50 Melodies” is therefore not only an enrichment for musical practice, but also an indispensable resource for the study and performance of medieval music. It invites musicians to expand their repertoire and immerse themselves in the musical traditions of Europe.
