A while back I posted about a music project I had been working on, which was writing piano sheet music arrangements of authentic medieval songs. Well, I am excited to announce that I have finally published an actual songbook!

Being a piano teacher, I’ve been so disappointed with the medieval and renaissance-period options for my students, especially at the Intermediate to Early Advanced levels. My hope is that transcribing melodies that were never meant to be played on the piano will make the entire genre a bit more accessible! Perhaps more people out there (of all ages) might learn to appreciate early music and discover the wide variety of musical styles that existed during that time.

Each song in the book has its own concise history/fact page, introducing different composers, genres, musical theories, and themes. Many Western European countries are represented, including England, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. You’ll also find original lyrics along with English translations.

If you’re interested in music history and you play the piano, the book is available for purchase on Amazon!

As an added bonus, I’ve recorded all of the songs and uploaded them to Soundcloud:

I have wanted to publish a book for a very long time, which was no easy task to juggle with my many other responsibilities and pet projects. So this book has been quite a labor of love, which I have my husband and family to thank for their support and contributions.

But I also wanted to send my heartfelt appreciation to YOU, my readers, some of whom have stuck around for years now. Without your support and interest in my humble little history blog I might not have found the motivation and confidence to go through with this project. Thank you!

Now that this is out of the way, I can get back to posting old recipes!

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Featured Image: “Christian and Muslim Playing Ouds” from the Cantigas de Santa Maria (1221-1284).