Songs & Tales Books

A New Book of Old Hymns: Large Print - $19.00
Veronica Brandt. A collection of hymns in Latin and English. Rounds, polyphony, sequences and lots of gregorian chant hymns and antiphons. Arranged around the Church's liturgical year. In large print - good for sharing! 92pp. Pb.

A Treasury of Early Music - $20.00
Carl Parrish. 50 first-rate musical compositions document the development of musical style from the early Middle Ages to the Middle of the 18th century. Among the selections are a Gregorian hymn, an English lute piece, operatic arias, instrumental and vocal motets, a French ballad, as well as works by Vivaldi, Telemann, Pergolesi, Scarlatti, Buxtehude, and other masters. Commentary evaluates style, form and historical setting, and complete compositions or sections of compositions are supplied when possible. 352pp. Pb.

An English Medieval and Renaissance Song Book - $17.00
Noah Greenberg. 47 vocal works from the 12th to the 17th centuries, including songs by Henry IV and Henry VIII as well as Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, Thomas Ravenscroft, Thomas Morley, John Dowland, and Thomas Weelkes. 224pp. Pb.

Ancient Irish Airs and Dances: 201 Classic Tunes Arranged for the Piano - $24.00
George Petrie. From the hopeful anticipation of "Mary, do you fancy me?" to the bitterness of "Hag, you've killed me," this extraordinary compilation of Irish melodies runs the emotional gamut, with melancholy airs and sprightly reels aplenty. Its source material, The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland, ranks among the most important 19th-century collections of traditional Irish music, with its song texts in both Irish and English, plus George Petrie's detailed notes about the music's origins. Out of print for many years, the Petrie Collection became an extremely rare and much sought-after collector's item; this new edition will bring the cherished old songs into the repertoire of any student or performer of traditional Irish music. Unabridged republication of the edition originally published by Pigott & Co., Dublin, 1877. 144pp. Pb.

Canterbury Tales - $15.00
Geoffry Chaucer. In The Canterbury Tales Chaucer created one of the great touchstones of English literature, a masterly collection of chivalric romances, moral allegories and low farce. A story-telling competition between a group of pilgrims from all walks of life is the occasion for a series of tales that range from the Knight's account of courtly love and the ebullient Wife of Bath's Arthurian legend, to the ribald anecdotes of the Miller and the Cook. This version of the text has been translated into modern English by Nevill Coghill. 528pp. Pb.

Celtic Fairy Tales - $21.00
Joseph Jacobs. We are all familiar with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Although they are great stories, those of us of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx or any other area peopled by the Celts should share these tales with our children and grandchildren. 168pp. Pb.

Celtic Gods and Heroes - $10.00
Marie-Louise Sjoestedt. Noted French scholar and linguist discusses the gods of the continental Celts, the beginnings of mythology in Ireland, heroes, and the two main categories of Irish deities: mother-goddesses — local, rural spirits of fertility or of war — and chieftain-gods: national deities who are magicians, nurturers, craftsmen, and protectors of the people. 128pp. Pb.

Creation/Nativity/Crucifixion - $13.00
John Deeth. An adaptation for small companies from Medieval mystery cycles of Wakefield and York, Creation/Nativity/Crucifixion covers the Old Testament stories of Creation, the Fall and Noah and the Nativity and Crucifixion stories. They can be played singly or as a trilogy. 68pp. Pb.

Elizabethan Poetry: An Anthology - $6.00
Bob Blaisdell. This anthology celebrates the wit and imaginative creativity of the Elizabethan poets with a generous selection of their graceful and sophisticated verse. Highlights include sonnets from Shakespeare, Sidney, and Spenser; popular poems by Donne ("Go, and catch a falling star"), Jonson ("Drink to me only with thine eyes"), Marlowe ("The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"); more. 208pp. Pb.

English Keyboard Music Before the Nineteenth Century - $19.00
John Caldwell. English keyboard art from Robertsbridge Codex (c. 1325) to John Field. Illuminating coverage of organ, harpsichord, pianoforte, other instruments; works of Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons, Tomkins, many others. 352pp. Pb.

Everyman and Other Miracle & Morality Plays - $4.00
Anonymous. Most durable of medieval morality plays, in which the central character, summoned by death, must face final judgment on the strength of his good deeds. Reprinted here along with four other medieval classics: The Second Shepherd's Play, Abraham and Isaac, Noah's Flood and Hickscorner. All from standard texts. 96pp. Pb.

Galliards, Pavans and Other Keyboard Works - $22.00
William Byrd, John Bull. All devotees of early keyboard music will welcome this attractive compilation of the best-known pieces from the classic Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, a remarkable collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean keyboard music. Although composed for the virginal, these pieces can be played without difficulty on the piano or any other keyboard instrument. They have been painstakingly set into modern notation, with careful preservation of the composers' intentions. Contents include such courtly dances as the galliard and pavan, ingenious preludes, fanciful fantasias, and many other works to delight players and listeners. 176pp. Pb.

Heimskringla: or the Lives of Norse Kings - $39.00
Snorri Sturluson. The great classic by an Icelandic poet/chieftain chronicles the reigns of 16 high kings descended from the warrior-wizard god Odin. There is a major section on 15-year reign of Olav II Haraldson, patron saint of Norway. Based on earlier histories, oral traditions, plus new material by author, all presented with intelligence, warmth and objectivity. 832pp. Pb.

John Dowland's Lute Songs: 1st & 2nd Books - $24.00
Transcribed for Voice and Guitar by David Nadal. The preeminent lute virtuoso and composer of the early 17th century, John Dowland wrote numerous songs, both gay and melancholy, that dazzled the courts of England and Europe. This rare compilation features 43 of these splendid works in transcriptions for voice and guitar, plus two dances for solo guitar. Original lute tablature and complete song texts included. 128pp. Pb.

John Dowland's Lute Songs: 3rd & 4th Books - $24.00
Transcribed for voice and guitar and edited by David Nadal. Unsurpassed in his day as a lute virtuoso, John Dowland (1563–1626) today continues to delight singers, musicians, and music lovers alike. This collection of 45 songs includes all the works in Dowland's original third and fourth books of lute songs, the composer's contributions to his son's anthology of 1610, and a dance for solo guitar — all in an affordable, handsomely engraved edition that is both practical and scholarly. 144pp. Pb.

The Mabinogion - $20.00
Lady Charlotte E Guest (translator). King Arthur was at Caerleon upon Usk; and one day he sat in his chamber; and with him were Owain the son of Urien, and Kynon the son of Clydno, and Kai the son of Kyner; and Gwenhwyvar and her handmaidens at needlework by the window. And if it should be said that there was a porter at Arthur’s palace, there was none. Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr was there, acting as porter, to welcome guests and strangers, and to receive them with honour, and to inform them of the manners and customs of the Court; and to direct those who came to the Hall or to the presence-chamber, and those who came to take up their lodging. The Mabinogion is a collection of storys from medieval Welsh manuscripts. It is of interest both to scholars, and to those who simply enjoy a good tale. 344pp. Pb.

The Mediaeval Stage - $36.00
E K Chambers. Comprehensive, groundbreaking work encompasses vast amount of material — from the demise of ancient Roman spectacles (c. 400 AD) to a new class of professional players by the 16th-century. Excellent accounts of wandering minstrels, mimes, mummers, miracle and morality plays, puppet shows, dramatic pageants, liturgical plays and much more. An indispensable reference for historians, students of English theater and anyone interested in medieval life. 960pp. Pb.

Medieval Lays & Legends of Marie de France - $13.00
An artful storyteller whose tales continue to enthrall modern readers, the twelfth-century poet known as Marie de France transformed folklore and legends into a distinctive variety of romance. Knights, fairies, princes in disguise, and werewolves populate her captivating variations on Arthurian myths and other stories of magic and mystery. Many of her tales are rooted in Celtic and Breton traditions; seven centuries later, her rhythmic and colored language retains its charm and offers insights into medieval customs and philosophy. In addition, this volume features two famous medieval romances, "A Story of Beyond the Sea" and "The Chatelaine of Vergi." 240pp. Pb.

Medieval Romances - $24.00
Roger Sherman Loomis & Laura Hibbard Loomis. Romances in the medieval time were tales of high adventure and chivalry - not necessarily love stories. Included here are some of the classic tales of this time, such as Percival, Tristan and Isolt, Sir Orfeo, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and many more. 426pp. Pb.

Medieval Tales & Stories - $19.00
Edited & translated by Stanley Appelbaum. Ranging from half page morality tales to hilarious bawdy stories several pages long, these centuries old narratives offer revealing glimpses into many elements of medieval culture. Chosen from ten well known medieval collections, almost all the pieces included here are hard to find in any language, and only a handful have been translated into English previously. Newly translated from Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, and German originals. 244pp. Pb.

My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginal Music - $35.00
William Byrd. A smaller version of the harpsichord, the virginal enjoyed wide popularity during the 16th and 17th centuries. Based upon a 1591 manuscript of keyboard works, this collection features 42 pieces in modern notation — a vast amount of neglected concert material for modern pianists and harpsichordists — plus historic and analytic notes. 304pp. Pb.

Njal's Saga: or The Story of Burnt Njal - $16.00
George Webbe Dasent (translator). An authoritative and authentic edition of the great Norse Medieval epic. This thirteenth-century saga is perhaps the capstone of Icelandic literary achievement. Recounting a long and costly blood feud, these stories are a document on Viking civic and legal institutions, a cogent exposition on Icelandic religious practices, and of course, stirring tales of battle and conquest. 400pp. Pb.

Playing the Harpsichord - $16.00
Howard Schott. This concise volume by an expert is not only a practical manual for the performer but also an authoritative history of the instrument. In covering the essentials of performance practice and musical style for the classical repertoire, the text provides important suggestions for mastering basic touch, fingering, articulation and phrasing, rhythm and tempo, ornaments such as the trill, slide, turn, and arpeggio; ensemble playing; and other fundamentals. 240pp. Pb.

The Prose Edda - $22.00
Snorri Sturluson, A G Brodeur. Gods and giants bestride these ancient tales, in which warrior queens and noble heroes battle with elves, dwarves, and fearsome monsters. Spanning the dawn of the world's creation to its fiery destruction, these gripping Norse legends chronicle the triumphs and tragedies of a lost era. Resounding with a poetic instinct for the picturesque, the dramatic, and the human, they form vivid portraits of the characters' personalities. They also depict the comic and disastrous results of ambition, passion, and destiny. The wellspring of modern knowledge of Norse mythology, these sagas preserved the Vikings' narrative style from an invading European influence. Iceland's great literary genius, Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241), combined oral traditions, genealogical records, and old songs to immortalize his country's glorious past. Edda means "poetic art," and Sturluson's guidebook for Icelandic poets has been a timeless inspiration for generations of writers around the world, including Wagner, Borges, and Tolkien. 288pp. Pb.

Punch And Judy - $14.00
John Payne Collier. Braggart and bully, the immortal Punch has delighted audiences for centuries. On street corners and at country fairs, crowds of English children cheer for this paragon of unrepentant wickedness, shouting encouragement and applauding his gleeful buffoonery. Punch struts and boasts, cracking jokes and heads, while the casualties mount: Judy, his shrieking wife; the interfering policeman; the hoodwinked hangman; and the devil himself, beaten to death. Scholarly yet entertaining, this chronicle traces the origins of puppetry's famous duo from Punch's birth in Italy to his travels across medieval Europe. Equally favored by commoners and nobility, Punch's horseplay proved as popular in France, Germany, and England as in his native country. In addition to examining the puppet show's moral and cultural significance, this book takes a look at the people behind the curtain. 208pp. Pb.

Selected Canterbury Tales - $4.00
Geoffry Chaucer. Delightful collection includes the General Prologue plus three of the most popular tales: "The Knight's Tale," "The Miller's Prologue and Tale," and "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale." Recast in modern English verse that captures the lively spirit of the originals. 144pp. Pb.

Selected Poems - $4.00
John Donne. Rich selection of 73 works from the Songs and Sonnets, Elegies, Holy Sonnets and other verse forms by foremost English "metaphysical" poet. Included are "The Good Morrow," "The Canonization," "The Relic," "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," "To His Mistress Going to Bed," "Death Be Not Proud," "Good Friday, 1613. Riding Westward," "Hymn to God My God, in My Sickness" and many more. Note. Alphabetical lists of titles and first lines. 96pp. Pb.

The Wakefield Cycle of Mystery Plays (Or the Towneley Cycle) - $52.00
Anonymous. The Wakefield or Towneley Mystery Plays are a series of thirty-two mystery plays based on the Bible most likely performed around Corpus Christi day in (again, most likely) the town of Wakefield, England during the late Middle Ages until 1576. It is one of only four surviving English mystery play cycles. The unique manuscript, now housed at the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, originated in the mid-fifteenth century. The manuscript came into the possession of the Towneley family in 1814, who lent their name it. Although almost the entire manuscript is in a fifteenth-century hand, the cycle was performed as early as the fourteenth century in an earlier form. The Wakefield Cycle is most renowned for the inclusion of "The Second Shepherds' Play," one of the jewels of medieval theatre. 461pp. Pb.

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Modern Historical Fiction

Murder at The War: a Modern Day Mystery with a Medieval Setting - $20.00
Mary Monica Pulver. What happens when someone dies at an SCA event? He or she gets taken to Resurrection Point, and then rejoins the fight. But this time, the death is real...

Sister Beatrice 1: The Gateway to Heaven - $15.00
Lara Mans. A medieval Detective story featuring Sister Beatrice; nun, cook, cat lover and sleuth, wherein the Convent is first set up.

Sister Beatrice 2: The Porters Wife - $15.00
Lara Mans. A Medieval Detective story where crimes are solved by the main character; Sister Beatrice. Nun, cook, cat lover and sleuth.