Music
... if music be the food of love, play on!
There are many musical activities in the Society - not just playing instruments, but also singing, dancing and making sense of medieval musical notation.
Singing was present in many forms in medieval times - from simple children's rhymes to the tunes of minstrels to the chants of monks and choirs of villagers. Singing in the Society can be done alone or in a group, all at once or in a round, with music or without, in harmony, around a fire or in the court of the Crown.
Our College sings usually once a week and perform at most major events we attend, usually those that are held in Melbourne. Our songbook can be accessed here
A good source for music for singing is the Lochac Virtual Songbook which includes sheet music, midi files and Noteworthy composer files of many songs popular in the SCA.
In addition to singing 'proper' songs (that is, songs that existed before the 17th century), self-styled bards have written and performed their own songs over the years, enriching the Society's musical tradition. Some are done in a period style, but others - commonly referred to as 'filk' songs - are less about maintaining a medieval atmosphere and more about having a good time. There are many repositories of these songs on the Internet, many of which can be accessed from the Bardic Links page.
Dancing is also a big part of the Society's culture. Dances run the full range from really easy to very complicated, and may be danced alone, in pairs, in small groups or with as many people as will fit in a hall.
A very good site for information about and related to medieval dancing is Del's Dance Book, which provides both music and step instructions for a wide range of dances from the SCA period.
If you're interested in learning some medieval dances, there are practice sessions held at the College of St Monica on Friday evenings During Monash University semester, and in the Barony of Stormhold on the first and third Thursdays of the month. New dancers are always welcome!
Images courtesy of Lady Clemens Gascoigne