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Story and photo by Terry James Imagine that you are living in the year 1528. You have been invited to an Emperor‘s palace for dinâ€" ner and following the meal, you find yourself being enterâ€" tained by his musicians and dancers. You admire the bright colours of the velvet and silk in their clothing and you hum along with the mellow tone of the recorder and cornetto. You clap your hands in time to the drums and tambourines and watch the graceful dancers swirling before you. Presently the musicians hand you a sheet of music and ask you to sing along and for the rest of the visit, you share your musical talents with the musicians and other guests. Reg Friesen, a professor of chemistry at the University of Waterloo, pictured a scene very si@milar to this one and liked it so much that he decided to bring this form of entérâ€" tainment back into the 20th century. Mr. Friesen found three other people who were interestâ€" ed in reviving the music of this period and he was joined by a fellow professor, John Capindale, and two students, Stewart Smith and Derek Gresham, who played the guitar and recorder. ‘*With just four musicians in the group what better name could you come up with than Music Four,~ laughed Mr. Friesen. In 1970, Music Four became established as a nonâ€"profit group which specializes in the kind of music played in the 17th century and earlier, and which plays on the types of instruments then in use. Their first performance was held at the school for the blind in Brantford, where they put on three oneâ€"halfâ€"hour performances. Shortly after their first program, someone suggested that because their music was rather offâ€"beat, it just might go over well on campus. Since 1970, Music Four has not only made a hit on campus but in the community as well. The group has grown from four to 20 and the members represent a variety of occupations. Three of the original members are no longer involved. The musicians include, Don Burgess, Reg Friesen, Ron Read, Pauline Durichen, Bob Hudgins, Fred Sneath, Ruth Erdman and Duncan MacRae. Patricia Pascoe and Ted Rhodes are the singers and the dancers include Jane Dekeyser, Ken Moffat, John Sitler, Janet Wason, Peter Huisman, Lynn Superstein, Mary Rupert and Donna Waliters. ‘"In the beginning our music was from around the 1700 period and gradually we find we are getting earlier and earlier,"‘ said Mr. Friesen. â€" o Pauline Durichen, a musician in Music Four, pointed out that often the group works with existing music from the early periods and this requires going to a number of librarâ€" ies to find copies of it. The latest performance, Music of the Court of Maximilian involves music from as early as 1500. i o **Some of our music is in modern performing editions and are specially printed for groups like ours,‘* she said. ‘"Someâ€" times we take a single line of music and orchestrate it or take older music and modify it so it can be used by our inâ€" struments." __Among the instruments used is the crumhorn. It is manâ€" ufactured in West Berlin and when its name is translated it simply means a bent horn. S ‘"‘The music from this period doesn‘t tell you where to use your various instruments like the modern music does,"" she said. A few of the instruments used are modern replicas of the original ones played during this period. Eventually Music Four would like to get away from using any modern reâ€" placements. Some of the members are in the process of making their own recorders and types of horns. Mrs. Durichen said that most of the work the group faces is in deciding what to do with the music. _ _ â€" The kortholt, an instrument made in Celle Germany, means short wood when translated. Mr. Friesen explained that this instrument is a type of horn and its windpipe is bent double. Both the crumhorns and kortholts are called capped reeds and when they are played they produce a loud buzzing sound. Music Four captures 16th Century Seven sizes of recorders are used. They range from the largest, a great base. to the very smallest, known as the garkleinflotlein. This recorder is only large enough to fit the player‘s fingers on it. The cornetto and cornetino are related to the modern brass instruments and are extremely loud. The rebec is a forerunner of the violin and is made by members of the Music Four. Other instruments used include the flute, viele, tomba marina, an instrument close to seven feet tall, the dulzaina and lute. A variety of percussions are used and these include tambourines, drums and blocks. Dancing was a very important part of this form of enterâ€" tainment and Music Four has tried to leave nothing out. They work very closely with Jill Officer and her group of Renaissance Dancers. Until very recently. the group did not have their own cosâ€" tumes, but thanks to the dance instructor they are now in full costume for every performance. ‘‘Before this we did not always wear special costumes." said Mrs. Durichen. ‘"We just dressed as appropriately as we could. Often the place where we performed provided them.~ Mr. Friesen made it clear that much of the music is unâ€" pretentious. not grand and ceremonial and because of this it is better suited for a small audience. He pointed out that The group has performed on many occasions in the Kitchâ€" enerâ€"Waterloo region as well as outside of it. They have performed at the Brighton Public School in Waterloo and entertained the employees of Mutual Assurance Company, Waterloo, during their lunch hour. <They have performed at St. Catharines Collegiate, Dundurn Castle, the London Recorder Festival and a number of libraries and churches. They also play for dance studios. > ~ _ ‘"‘This serves two purposes,"" said Mr. Friesen. "It helps the dance students learn the dances from this period and gives the musicians lots of practice."" Ron Read, left, and Pauline Durichen, right, members of Music Four, practice their parts for the presentaâ€" tion of Music of the Court of Maximilian. this type of music was originally played in large homes and The group puts on three major productions a year and guests were often given an instrument and they played and â€" several general ones. They have one major program which sang together for entertainment. Families often did the they perform in different places. This year it is, Music of same after the evening meal. the Court of Maximilian, 1500. ‘‘*Music and dancing played a big role in the lives of peoâ€" Mr. Friesen feels that in the future, the group will go on ple during this period. In some of the larger, richer developing programs every year, very much like it has done homes, people had hired musicians in the house. They were in the past. They are presently preparing a program of as much a part of the household as our colour televisions French music centered around 1600. It will be performed are today," said Mrs. Durichen. at Ste. Marie Among the Hurons this July, marking the She went on to say that the musical programs Music Four performs suits a small, more involved audience where people feel free to participate. As in the Renaissance period, this type of music is based on interaction. Mr. Frieson has noted that the majority of the people in the audience are amfazed by the sounds given out by the instruments. They find it hard to distinguish which sound comes out of what instrument and after the show, the maâ€" jority of them go up on the stage to question the musicians and get a better look at their instruments. Music Four enâ€" courages this participation. . ‘‘*One impression is that of general pleasure in seeing the recorder put to use in a particular way,"" said Mr. Friesen. **People like to see it being played as it would have been in a concourse,"" he said. Mr. Friesen said that a number of people ask to become a member of the group and he pointed out that the group executive looks for people who have special abilities to complement the talent the group already has acquired. Music Four performs for their own pleasure as well as for the pleasure of their audience. As an outgrowth of the group, they meet together in each other‘s homes and play purely for their own enjoyment. They also meet once a week to practice for their performances. ‘‘The musician, singer and dancer has to be a person who is selfâ€"motivated and ready to do their own preparation and research," he said. Styling ©@ Streaks ® Straightening ‘Haircuts @ Body Perms ® Shampoo Parkdale Plaza Albert & Hazel Afraid of getting your hair chopped off ... visit Parkdale Unisex toâ€"day. They‘ll treat you right. next door to Liquor Store UNISEX and BARBERSHOP ‘‘*Only The Best" 884â€"2750 The group puts on three major productions a year and several general ones. They have one major program which they perform in different places. This year it is, Music of the Court of Maximilian, 1500. Mr. Friesen feels that in the future, the group will go on developing programs every year, very much like it has done in the past. They are presently preparing a program of French music centered around 1600. It will be performed at Ste. Marie Among the Hurons this July, marking the year the fort was founded. of it, Mr. Friesen smiled and replied; "Of course. It is a great participant sport. There is definitely no shortage of music and there is still so much unexplored. If three or four people were to sit down with some inexpensive music books and instruments, they would be sure to have a whale of a good time. They would start by performing for themâ€" selves and eventually branch out and perform for others, just like Music Four did in the very beginning." _ When asked if he felt there was more need for groups of this sort to delve into the history of music and revive some Waterioo Chronicle, Wednesday, March 3, 1976 â€" Page 9