Wrocław will be loud again! Groups performing in the tradition of alta cappella (Italian for “loud band”) will once again play at the NFM and in two other venues in Wrocław. MusiCanti Potestatis, a group based in Bevagna in Umbria, Italy, uses the most archaic combinations of instruments. These artists’ concerts offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself  in the exuberance of medieval music.

Ensembles playing shawms were among the most important components of the sound soundscape of European courts and cities in the 14th and 15th centuries. A detailed description of these groups, along with a specification of the roles of individual instruments, can be found in a text by Tinctoris, the leading music theorist of the era, dating from 1482–1483.There were various line-ups. In addition to the shawm, diverse types of trumpets, trombones, bagpipes, pipes, and drums could also add to the noise. Musicians participated in court life, accompanying dances at feasts and performing during other such events. They also played sacred music. It is believed that they mostly improvised. Townspeople most often encountered such artists during public celebrations held in public squares. In larger towns, independent groups operated too and could be hired to provide musical accompaniment for private occasions.

Active since 2011, the members of the Ensemble MusiCanti Potestatis strive to reenact early musical practice as faithfully as possible, based on current historical knowledge. They also frequently explore new areas of repertoire – thus, they are frequent visitors to libraries. While presenting the loud results of their meticulous research, they must now steer as far from the privacy of scholarly collections as possible, yet they delight audiences with their energy.