Diabolus in Musica: Did the Medieval Church Believe that the Tritone Could Summon the Devil?
From terrifying medieval depictions of Satan to the enduring myth of the “Devil’s interval,” this article uncovers what people really believed about the tritone and its place in medieval music.
Musical Retribution: The Medieval Tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin
A look into the medieval folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin and what occurred in the thirteenth-century German town of Hamelin.
Music and Musicians in the Medieval Persianate World
Explore how medieval Persian musicians blended art, theory, and performance through two remarkable texts that reveal the sounds and social world of music.
Medieval Musical Notations Discovered in 9th-Century Manuscript
A newly identified 9th-century manuscript leaf may contain some of the earliest known examples of written music in Western Europe — what experts are calling a rare witness to the very dawn of musical notation. The manuscript leaf is being offered on the public market for $80,000 US.
From Cradle to Choir: Music in the Lives of Medieval Children
What songs did medieval children grow up with? From soothing lullabies sung by mothers to the first lessons at cathedral song schools, music was an essential part of childhood in the Middle Ages.
Monastic Music Returns to Buckland Abbey After 500 Years of Silence
A rare 15th-century manuscript returns to Buckland Abbey in southwest England, reviving the sound of monastic music for the first time since the Tudor Reformation.
Notker the Stammerer: The Monk Who Shaped Charlemagne’s Musical Legacy
Discover how Notker the Stammerer, a monk of St. Gall, helped shape Charlemagne’s musical legacy through his writings, chant compositions, and lasting influence on medieval liturgy.
International Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Music Comes to Northern England
MedRen2025, an international conference on medieval and Renaissance music, is taking place this week across three universities in northern England—Northumbria, Newcastle, and Durham—bringing together over 250 scholars and performers from around the world.
New Medieval Books: The Science of Music
Did you know there was a vibrant music scene in 13th-century Baghdad, even during the time of the Mongol conquest? This book traces the life of a prominent musical scholar and explores what his works reveal about education and intellectual life in the medieval Islamic world.
10 Musical Instruments Played in Medieval Europe
Explore 10 fascinating musical instruments that brought sound to medieval Europe—some familiar, others long forgotten.
Sexy Medieval Songs with Elizabeth Eva Leach
It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that sexy playlists are being created all over the world to help people communicate their steamiest and most heartfelt emotions – just like they did in the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Elizabeth Eva Leach about sexy medieval songs, who was singing them, and how they served as inspiration in the bedroom.
Romance and Music in the Middle Ages: The Love Songs of Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard and Heloise’s love story is one of the most famous romances of the Middle Ages, but beyond their passionate letters, Abelard also expressed his devotion through music.
An Anglo-Norman Drinking Song for Christmas
This lively piece blends the merriment of Christmas with the revelry of drinking, transporting us to the jubilant atmosphere of medieval feasts.
Why Notre-Dame Was Built for Medieval Music
When you walk into Notre-Dame de Paris, the air feels alive with echoes of the past. This iconic cathedral was more than a masterpiece of Gothic architecture—it was a giant musical instrument designed to bring medieval melodies to life.
New Medieval Books: The Troubadours
This book delves into the lives of eight troubadours, weaving together the stories of the men and women who emerged as poet-musicians and became integral to the culture of medieval Western Europe. It features translations of many of their captivating poems and songs, bringing their artistry to life.
Computational Analysis as a Tool for Contextualizing the Music of Hildegard of Bingen
For many years, Jennifer Bain has been analyzing and contextualizing the music of Hildegard of Bingen within the medieval chant repertory using manual methodologies.
New project aims to create database for medieval music and manuscripts
Over the next seven years, Dr. Bain will create an online platform that links and synergizes plainchant databases around the world.
A Medieval Song for the Summer
One of the most famous pieces of music that has survived is a Middle English song about summer: “Sumer is Icumen In”.
The Medieval Superstar: A tale of singing, sexuality and slavery
Today few people would know the name ʿArīb al-Ma’mūnīya. But during her lifetime, she may have been the most famous person in the world.
How did medieval people dance?
Historians have known that medieval people enjoyed dancing, but they did not know exactly how they danced. A book by Robert Mullally is answering a part of this question, detailing one of the most popular dances of the Middle Ages.
Rome and Byzantium in Heavy Metal music, with Jeremy Swist
A conversation with Jeremy Swist on why some heavy metal bands write music about Roman and Byzantine history. Expect “good” and “bad” emperors to be reversed here!
New Medieval Books: Minstrels and Minstrelsy in Late Medieval England
This book examines the careers of professional entertainers between the fourteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
Beyond Love Songs: Troubadours and Cathars
Exploring the theories that support and deny Cathar influence within the troubadours’ compositions.
A Brief History of Musical Notation from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
There was a time in the history of Western music when notation was in its infancy, and the system with which we are currently familiar looked and functioned very differently than it does now.
