Rylee Seavers | Broadcast Reporter
Baylor students are bringing Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music to life with Early Music Ensembles.
“Early Music Ensembles are chamber music groups that delve into history in music and we learn about the scores, the handwritten scores,[and] the early printed scores, so those are sometimes works of art in themselves,” said Jann Cosart, associate professor of music and director of the Early Music Ensembles. “We learn how to read that language and then, we don’t just study about the history, we make it come alive.”
Cosart founded Early Music Ensembles 16 years ago when she came to Baylor. She said it is important to understand the history of the music.
“We have access to the web and we can get things instantly. They didn’t and so they really immersed themselves in the arts and literature. And, I think we can learn a lot from that and that enriches our lives to find out about other times and places and, especially through the medium of music because it’s a language in itself,” Cosart said.
The ensemble performed on Thursday in Armstrong Browning Library. The pieces were from the German Renaissance period to celebrate the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation.
Graduate student Ricardo Gomez said performing with instruments from these time periods has improved his skills when playing the modern violin.
“It broadens one’s understanding of the music and it gives you a lot more tools to use in your career,” Gomez said.