Music for a Renaissance festival

Dellinger wrote: There are many here that I don't know, but from what I do know, Blackmore's Night seems to be the ones that fit the best, and I do would love to see them live. Though, for that matter, I guess I would like to see Corvus Corax even more.

  Corvus Corax also plays the Faires from time to time.

Other......

Gryphon would also make a fine band to consider for this....Should also have brought them to the fore when thinking of others that would be fun to see at a Faire.

I am a regular Gentle Giant detractor, but authentic sounding Medieval music is something they do very well, so I would go with them on that basis. The band I personally would enjoy the most would be Tull, but Gentle Giant could do more straight up historical stuff that would be in the spirit of a Ren Festival. The last time I went to one was last summer 2018. They had a fantastic band called Wolgemut. They played Medieval German pieces with percussion and fife. Very good. I bought two of their albums there and got all the band members to sign one.

Great answer, Manuel!  Most faires do have several stages....  :D

Snicolette wrote: I have not been to the newer Oregon RenFest, nor the Oregon Country Fair (not a Renaissance Festival), I've only lived here (2nd time) for a few years....although I do have friends who play(ed) the OCF, from Middle Eastern musicians to all kinds of other musical acts and know a lot of the New Vaudevillian people from my Santa Cruz days.  The faires across the country vary, depending on who owns/operates the faires and there are very different circuits east and west and all in between for the performers and merchants.  Some have stellar acts from all over the world (Maryland comes to mind) and some have less "period," entertainment than others...some are "hard," sites (with buildings that stay in place), some are "soft," sites, with tents that are pitched until the show is over and everyone moves on to the next one.   Drum circles are at many of the shows, as are end of show "Pub Sings," kind of like a variety show of the various performers in one spot.  They all have their own character, some make up in spirit for what they lack in other ways...I have gone to faires as a "playtron," (one who dresses in garb, but is not employed by the faire), as a player (under the aegis of the creators of the whole schmugugie, Ron and Phyllis Patterson, who would inspect each person make sure you knew how to speak and were dressed appropriately) and also a merchant for a couple of years.  Just providing my personal faire experience in more detail here.   I realize this may make me taken less seriously with Prog, however, it's a fun thing to do.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - September 08 2019 at 11:24

I have not been to the newer Oregon RenFest, nor the Oregon Country Fair (not a Renaissance Festival), I've only lived here (2nd time) for a few years....although I do have friends who play(ed) the OCF, from Middle Eastern musicians to all kinds of other musical acts and know a lot of the New Vaudevillian people from my Santa Cruz days.  The faires across the country vary, depending on who owns/operates the faires and there are very different circuits east and west and all in between for the performers and merchants.  Some have stellar acts from all over the world (Maryland comes to mind) and some have less "period," entertainment than others...some are "hard," sites (with buildings that stay in place), some are "soft," sites, with tents that are pitched until the show is over and everyone moves on to the next one.  

Edited by Snicolette - September 08 2019 at 09:41

I agree with GG as well, and woke up this am thinking that I'd not mentioned Steeleye Span....I was thinking in lyrical terms as well as the music, certainly there were many folk songs of the day that were more of the story-telling variety, less of the complexity of the music...One could doubtless hear all kinds of music as there was so much crossing of cultures....however, keep going folks, I do enjoy this topic, obviously.