Medieval Works from Trouvere

Trouvère is a band of minstrels in North Yorkshire, England, who bring "medieval merriment to events of all kinds... with a mix of performance and hands-on experience of medieval music-making." Songs, music, storytelling and dance are all part of their repertoire.

They routinely appear at English castles and historic sites and at private and corporate functions. Trouvère customers have included the Royal Armouries, English Heritage, The National Trust, The Museum of London, Warwick Castle, The Merchant Adventurer’s Hall in York, and The York Archaeological Trust.

Novela is a Trouvère CD featuring music of and inspired by 13th and 14th century music from medieval France, Spain, and Italy. Other Trouvère albums focus on authenticity of medieval works. However, in Novela, Trouvère blossomed into their own work. Try out the album with a free download through last.fm, then
buy your own copy to support the band.

Official Website | Facebook | Myspace | last.fm

The Voice and Calm Power of Dr. Martin Luther King

Today the U.S. nation celebrates the life and work of prominent civil rights activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Here are three speeches by Dr. King. The first is King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963.

The second is a speech given January 14, 1968, at a demonstration supporting anti-war activitists, including singer Joan Baez, imprisoned at the Santa Rita Prison in California. The recording of Dr. King's speech was produced by Colin Edwards for KPFA radio the day after the demonstration. (BB1460 Pacifica Radio Archives)

The third of King's speeches presented here is from March 16, 1968 at the event "Men and women in the arts concerned with Vietnam" in Los Angeles, California. The speech is prefaced by a six-minute introduction by novelist, playwright, and poet James Baldwin. The recording was made in the audience and aired on KPFK on April 4, 1968. (BB4661 Pacifica Radio Archives)

His final speech, referred to as the "Mountaintop" speech was delivered in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was assassinated.

All three speeches can be found at the Free Music Archive.

Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Betsy G. Reyneau [public domain]