Courtly Noyse (Renaissance & Medieval music)@ The Athenaeum

Long ago four people used to meet every year under a tree on top of Mount Palomar to sing madrigals. In 2003, it suddenly occurred to them that they could meet more frequently outside the context of the San Diego Early Music Society Workshop, and so they arranged to get together “down the mountain”. They were joined by two more friends, and Courtly Noyse was born. This lively mix of personalities soon developed the blend of humor, imagination and versatility in the performance of Renaissance music that has become their trademark.

You might say that some members of Courtly Noyse are instrumentalists who sing, and others are singers who play instruments. Their goal is to be true “Renaissance men”—in other words, to derive pleasure from engaging in a wide variety of musical activities without necessarily being technically superlative in every area. Just like their forebears in the sixteenth century, they enjoy whiling away an evening or a Sunday afternoon with music, storytelling and jokes—and their hope is that their audience will derive as much pleasure from their collaboration as they do.

Courtly Noyse plays recorders, viola da gamba, vielle, krummhorns, cornamuse, cornetti, shawms, sacbuts, Renaissance guitar, chalumeau, hurdy gurdy, bowed psaltery, mandolin, gemshorns, rackett, and various percussion instruments (although this list is constantly growing!). They can also cast their instruments aside at the drop of a (Tudor) hat, and burst into five-part vocal harmony.

Free concerts at noon every Monday from fall through spring . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles. . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum before noon. (Donations are always welcome!) Mini-Concerts take place every Monday at noon and last about an hour.