Name for new early music duo

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 06:52 AM

You know, you can always change the name if you decide you don't like it, or if you find one that's better. I don't think using "duo" in the name is a problem; if someone else joins, you could just change it to "trio". I think two people isn't a "band" or a "consort".

I don't know what the rules are on band names. If you're far away from New England, does it matter if a band there is called "Heart's Ease"? I suppose in the era of MySpace and YouTube, there might be a problem, though.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 06:44 AM

The Rude Mechanickals

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Smedley
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 05:02 AM

The Night Watch is the best of those.

A lot of the suggestions made so far are in-jokes for those who already know something about this kind of music, whereas you'll be playing mostly to audiences who don't, so it would be better to avoid sounding twee and/or smug.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 04:46 AM

OK, coming back for another go. Here's a list of tunes we may (or may not, at this stage) put in our repertoire, that may also be used as a name for the duo. Heart's Ease has already been mentioned (some like it, others don't), there is also:

Robinson's May
Traditora
Tarleton's Resurrection
The Night Watch
Bara Faustus' Dream
Lady Clifton's Spirit
Praeludium
Wilson's Wild

What do you think?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 04:21 AM

Ooo, Tradsinger, Waytes and Measures, I do like that.

I'm beginning to realise that, as with Nutmeg and Ginger and with Da Capo, it may well be the case that no matter how suitable a name is in one context, it may be unsuitable in another. And naming ourselves after a tune is fine for those who know the tune and its associations, but we may have to assume that most people won't. But in that case, won't we just end up with a name that's nondescript and bland? Hhhhmmmppphhh.

If only we'd thought of Waytes and Measures first. That's just too clever and too good :-)

Mind you, the meaning of Waytes and Measures is only clear if one knows about music history and musical language. The same could be said of other existing bands: Piva, Golliard, The Dufay Collective, etc. Maybe we're thinking *too* much and should just come up with a name that has early music associations and is memorable? Lots of words and phrases have different meanings in different contexts. If people see our name next to a picture of us - as many would in a programme or on a poster - the intended word association would be implied even if unknown to the viewer.

Keep it going, please! This has turned out to be great fun! We *will* arrive at a name!

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 02:17 AM

Chanticleer is taken as far as over here goes...but they do have an international rep.

Wish we could think of something as kewl as "Moxy Früvous!"

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 12:54 AM

Something Shakespearean: how about

Concord of Sweet Sounds ~ The Merchant of Venice V.i.84

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 12:48 AM

Da Capo was a record album by the late 60s band Love, by the way.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 04 Mar 10 - 12:43 AM

Hopefully you won't wear tights and call yourself something like Nutmeg and Ginger. Wouldn't go over in Sheffield.

How about something memorable (by the way I liked The Black Death Minstrels..loads of fun at a retirement home!)

is Chanticleer taken? That has a nice ring to it.

The Canterbury Wails

Plantagenet

The Helm Cleavers

Hardcore Troubadores

Hamlet's Merkin

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 11:22 PM

Da Capo is short and all, but it might mean nothing to most folks if they don't know music that well. Over here it sounds like someone with a New York/New Joisey(Jersey)accent (no offence NY&NJers!) Actually, it reminds me of the mafia in that over here the "godfather" might be addressed as "Da Capo" as in "The Head." Just my take on it.:-)

As to the others, not being familiar with the songs, they are not really indicative to me of what your duo would be unless I had more material to read or listen to.

Not meaning to sound biased, but maybe combine Da Capo with Rides Again or one of the others with it?

If you want to use "500" why not get fancy and use "The Quingenti Duo?" Or, "Rise of the Quingenti?" Or "Quingenti Rides Again," though I don't think that is as descriptive as the QD...ah! Great acronym for it!

I think "The Quingenti Duo" sounds like something from one or all of those eras, plus it sounds classy without being snobby, esp. if you use "QD" as a familiar reference.

Thanks, again, for the fun of this!

kat

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: GUEST,clumper
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 10:51 PM

Seeing as "Mediaeval Baebes" already works very successfully for one well established band;

"Mediaeval Beefcaek" !!???

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Tradsinger
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 06:18 PM

Our medieval band is called "Waytes and Measures", but you can't have that.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 05:15 PM

Having thought about it for a bit, I like Da Capo more and more, as it has all the right connotations: it's a musical term, and we're going back to the beginning of known western music. And it's short and easy to remember. Thanks, GUEST,henryp, for suggesting it.

What does anyone else think?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 03:02 PM

Heart's ease or Heartsease - still my favourite by far.

Hartes' ease is also good, but you'll get fed up having to spell it out to people all the time.

Howlin Beowulf sounds like a blues band.

Early Byrds sounds like you're talking about the original The Byrds band.

The Maggot one is just plain horrible! :)

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: frogprince
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 02:21 PM

The Minstrels of Yore

Tfhe Buskers of Yore

The Now Minstrels of When

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 01:49 PM

Not to stop any more suggestions, and not to discount any that have been made so far, but here are my favorites so far.

What do you think of these?
What would you give them out of 10?
Do these names spark any new ideas?

Mrs Winter's Jump
Heart's Ease
Hartes ease (Anthony Holborne's spelling)
Howlin' Beowulf
The Early Byrds
XXX Rides Again (XXX = ?)
Da Capo
Mr Gusto's Maggot

How about ...
The 500
... since we're playing music from the 13th to 17th centuries?

Thanks again.

Stower :-)

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 09:12 AM

@Hamish Something with "Knights" in?

Knights in White Satin?
Somer Knights?

Actually, "The New Early Music Duo" as per your thread title would work too, in a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin way.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: bubblyrat
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 07:27 AM

No ,please !! Lady Winwoods Maggot was bad enough !!(with apologies to the multi-talented Dave Lambert of the eponymous group !).

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Crane Driver
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 07:12 AM

You're playing with gusto?

How about 'Mr Gusto's Maggot'?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 03 Mar 10 - 06:57 AM

Da Capo

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 03:08 PM

Oh, never!*bg*

kitkat

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 01:15 PM

Hey now, Kat ~ not asking for a bit of flageolet-shun are you?

Chocciebar

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 12:47 PM

From my sleepless night:

Flageolet (as in Camelot:-) I know it's not always pronounced that way.)

Old Music - Present Tense

What Once Was - Music of Old

Duo-ling (something ala "Dueling Banjos")

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Hamish
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 11:11 AM

Something with "Knights" in?

The Early Knights
The Late Knights (a bit macabre, maybe)
The Green Knights
The Shining Knights
The Dirty Knights
etc

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 10:58 AM

Va-Va Vintage!:-)

Stower & ?? Ride, Again?

Vintage Vox & Pluck?

Pluck & Crow?

Melodious Masters?

(Something) out of time?

Anachronous Melodious?

Vintage Harmonious?

(I love the online Thesaurus!:-)

Vox-A-Tune?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: bubblyrat
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 07:14 AM

The Stower Ways

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 05:43 AM

I'm having a really good laugh with all these names! Thank you again.

katlaughing, I do like the XXX Rides Again idea, also something around Vintage. Vintage Voices or Vox Vintage? But we'll be doing approx. half songs and half dance tunes. Part of the idea is to play with gusto and original arrangements, getting away from the idea of classically trained players playing clinically (not that they all do, by any means, but early music can have that image - but listen to The Dufay Collective - wow ...). Is there a 'v' word that conveys newness and freshness to put alongside Vintage?

Liz, there's only two of us, so it might be a bit disappointing to an audience if we call ourselves XXX Troupe! Mind you, I used to see a fantastic blues guitarist, drummer, harmonica player and singer - he played them all simultaneously! - called The Little Big Band. I wonder what happened to him? I digress ...

Some of these suggestions are so good and funny that I'm wondering if, when we start out, we could use some of these search-for-a-name suggestions in our act.   

I'm so very grateful. Any more for more?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Mar 10 - 03:19 AM

I like Hearts Ease - plus you have a ready made motif to decorate your costume and instrument bags with.

The Early Byrds is good too, but my immediate thought was - where's the worm? Do you play the serpent at all?

Baroque of Ages?

Colyn Cleaver and the Crumhorns? (as in Young Colyn, cleaving of a beam...)

You could go the Actor's way and have 'Mr Stower's Troupe

If you have anyone who sells double glazing you could be Mr Stower's Troop o' doors.....

(sorry.. I'll get me cloak)

LTS

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:59 PM

(Something???) Rides, Again! (ala Lone Ranger Rides Again)Okay, it's lame.:-)Some more really lame (hey! when you brainstorm, everything gets thrown in the mix!)**bg**:

Vintage Time Shares

Ye Olde Music with Two

Bombast Galore!

MedRenBar, Oh My! *groan*

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Paco O'Barmy
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 05:43 PM

Show of Hands?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 05:01 PM

I suspect that with Heart's Ease you'd get people calling you Heartburn. Mind there are worse names than that last - it sticks in the memory, which is what you want with a name. But once again, there's already a HeartBurn Band in Finland... Though I rather doubt you'd be competing with each other!!!

And once again there's a band calling itself Heart's Ease, this time in New England.

Vintage is another word you could play around with. Maybe even "Vintage Musick", but that sounds a bit solemn.

Early Byrds suggested Tallis Men, with a nod to Thomas Tallis. (No good if either of you is a woman though.)

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 11:10 AM

Thanks again, all. Lots of good points to consider here from lots of people.

Nicholas, I do like the name The Black Death Minstrel Show but did wonder about the associations you mention. Minstrel and troubadour both have meanings which are historically more specific than the way they are (often mis)used nowadays (compared to their historical meanings), so if we're going into schools and covering some of the history curriculum we need to get that right, though having it in our name may be a starting point for doing just that.

There already is (or was) a group called Galliard. There used to be one called Golliard (I think). There's also a group called Piva (another dance form). We could choose Saltarello, Trotto, Pavan, or another dance form as a name, but I'm not sure that would mean much to people coming to the music for the first time (a point made similarly above).

The Early Byrds. I like it because of associations with early music, William Byrd and possibly the 1960s band, The Byrds.   

Mmmmm, you might think picking a name might be easy!

If this thread continues - and I hope it will and many thanks to all so far - I may pick out some of (what I consider to be) the best suggestions and ask for marks out of 10. That process may also lead to more suggestions sparked by ones we have already.

Please keep 'em comin'!

Stower

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:55 AM

"Heart's Ease" sounds too much like Heart Disease.

The Black Death Minstrel Show might be thought tasteless by the many people who found the racist nature/overtones of The Black And White Minstrel Show objectionable. Replacing Minstrel with something else - Pavane, Troubadour, Galliard, Crumhorn - might distance it a bit more.

The Black Death Pavane Duo.

Actually, maybe better to avoid "duo" in case you get a third member.

Black Death Danse Macabre might be going too for any tiny tots you intend to deal with.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Smedley
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:46 AM

But the Early Byrds (although I like it) wouldn't mean much to anyone under 40. They would just think you couldn't spell 'birds'.

I think one of your dance names might work & be memorably simple:

Galliard.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:44 AM

How about "Heart's Ease Early Music Duo"?

I like the name "Heart's Ease" even though I don't know the song, although I do sometimes play Renaissance lute music on the guitar. I might even have it in a book, but it didn't ring a bell. I've heard the name applied to a plant but I had no idea it was a pansy. I like pansies, connotations or no. (In German, they're called "Stiefmuetterchen" == "little step-mothers".)

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: GUEST,leeneia - PM
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:13 AM

Go for a name which is easy to look up on the Internet or in the phone

"Avoid puns, archaic spellings, words nobody uses anymore and other gimmicks."

You make a good point, but on the other hand, I like all of these things, except gimmicks. One man's gimmick is another man's, err, something.

"I used to work in a public library. Time and again kids would tell me they wanted to read "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," but they couldn't find it in the catalog. Didn't we have this famous book?

Yes, we did, but the author had decided to be artful and name it 'FROM the Mixed-Up Files..." The thing is, a cute feature like that gets forgotten in the hurly-burly of our busy lives. We go for the nouns."

Do you really think this would be a reason to give the book a different title? "Cute" and "artful" have their place, too. This book title may well have been the first time I ran across the expression "from the files of ...".

Punning names, etc., can wear a bit thin, like anything else, but I think it's good to approach early music and Baroque music with a bit of humor and creativity. I listen to this kind of music a lot, and I don't like the direction things seem to be going, i.e., toward the way the "serious" music business works for the "standard" Classical and Romantic repertoire.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:17 AM

Heart's Ease wouldn't mean anything to one who doesn't know the song, etc.

I really like the Early Byrds, too!

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:13 AM

Go for a name which is easy to look up on the Internet or in the phone book. Avoid puns, archaic spellings, words nobody uses anymore and other gimmicks.

Picture a school principal who had you two years ago and wants you back, How will she find you?

I suggest something like:

_____________ (insert name of your town, river or region) Early Music

============
I used to work in a public library. Time and again kids would tell me they wanted to read "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," but they couldn't find it in the catalog. Didn't we have this famous book?

Yes, we did, but the author had decided to be artful and name it 'FROM the Mixed-Up Files..." The thing is, a cute feature like that gets forgotten in the hurly-burly of our busy lives. We go for the nouns.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: GUEST,surreysingeratwork
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 10:13 AM

Since no-one has answered the question "How does The Early Musick Song, Dance and History Company sound? " I'll stick my oar in and reply... IMHO its a bit too long winded and somewhat dull and dry, even if it is self descriptive. Haven't come up with anything suitable myself .... but I'll have a think.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 09:47 AM

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower - PM
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:24 AM

"Anyone else agree with Suegorgeous that Heart's Ease is a good name? That way a set with Holborne's 'Hartes ease' followed by the Playford 'Heart's Ease' could become our theme tune, so to speak."

Yes. "Heart's Ease" has my vote (if we're voting).

"(We are planning to teach children to dance simple pavans, galliards and branles; as well as getting them to sing with us, play some simple instruments [...]"

Ah, like a child upon a recorder? A sound, but not in governance?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Mr Red
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 09:29 AM

Go for the clever. It is more memorable. Without any claims to that - I offer:

Baroque-a-roll
Made Evil
Gregorian Chance
Pa Vain
Viol Inst
Dull Simmer (only joking)
Batter & Psaltery
Find Tuned
Green Leaves
Dowland's
Loves Labour's Lust
Azure Like It (including blues?)
Much Adieu

I could go on................

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:51 AM

Ah, Michael, thank you. My first idea was to call us Ancient & Modern, for parallel reasons to yours, connected with our aspirations (though I wasn't aware of the meaning of 'early modern' as you explain it.) 'Early Modern' doesn't have the same churchy association as 'Ancient & Modern' (which could sound like we're going to take our material from a hymn book, which isn't quite the idea).

Cheers
Stower

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:44 AM

"Early Modern"

~~~ {to explain this suggestion: in Lit Crit, 'Early Modern' is used to mean: 'written in the period post-Chaucer, beginning approx with Skelton & Spenser, when Modern English was replacing Middle English for literary purposes, up to writers of the early-17th century, up to about the Civil Wars'. ~~~ I review regularly for a journal online called Early Modern Literary Studies (google EMLS), in which 90% of the articles & reviews are on Shakespeare. It seems to me that the phrase, with such overtones, would describe both the content and the aspirations of the duo as you describe them.}

Best ~ Michael

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Les from Hull
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:30 AM

The Airlie Birds is the name of Hull Rugby Football League Team here in the UK (they used to play in Airlie Street).

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Stower
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 08:24 AM

Thank you, thank you all.

GUEST,erbert, I really like The Black Death Minstrel Show. Why is that *so* funny? That would combine a sense of history, music and comedy. Seems ideal to me.

And bubblyrat, I like The Early Byrds, too.

Anyone else agree with Suegorgeous that Heart's Ease is a good name? That way a set with Holborne's 'Hartes ease' followed by the Playford 'Heart's Ease' could become our theme tune, so to speak.

How about something that is purely descriptive that might sound different at a festival or folk club than it would to a teacher or pupil in a school (where we also plan to work). How does The Early Musick Song, Dance and History Company sound? (We are planning to teach children to dance simple pavans, galliards and branles; as well as getting them to sing with us, play some simple instruments, and give them a bit of social history.)

Chris Green, I have PMed you, as requested.

I am very grateful to you all.

Any more suggestions? :-)

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Nicholas Waller
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 07:26 AM

You could attack the problem a bit like one of those old MAD spoof "Do-It_Yourself Newspaper Story" multiple choice things.

List a bunch of instruments you might be using:

Gittern, Lute, Gem's Horn, Crumhorn, Rebec and more

List a number of ways of saying "duo":

Brace, Couple, Duo, Two, Binary, Double, twins etc

List some old musicians by name or type:

Troubadour, Blondel, Tallis, Perotinus Magister, etc

List a bunch of relevant other words:

Dance, Prance, Singers and so on

List some tune or song titles:

Nutmeg and Ginger, Mrs Winter's Jump, Heart's Ease, for instance

And then mix and match like mad to get Rebec Prancing Duo, or Nutmeg Tallis, or Mrs Winter's Blondel Gittern Twins, or Binary Crumhorn.

If that's not enough, add in various mediaeval games, torture practices, famous paintings and plants. You could put each word on a different piece of paper and throw them all in the air and see what landed on the butter dish right side up. Or throw darts at them.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Piers Plowman
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 07:22 AM

The Crying Shawms

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Tim Leaning
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 06:49 AM

eariesque?

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: bubblyrat
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 05:54 AM

The Early Byrds

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: Mo the caller
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 05:04 AM

Yes, but people who know what the plant Heartsease looks like are not going to tranpose the connotations, surely. I don't go round calling people names, but if I did I wouldn't say 'you heartsease'.

Anyone (maybe not many of us) who enjoy Playford dance, will know the dance and tune.

It doesn't tell people who are not 'in the know', so you'd have to add a sentence under your name, maybe.

Subject: RE: Name for new early music duo
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 04:22 AM

Another name for Heartsease is Pansy. Perhaps best avoided when it has 'other' connotations in the UK.