'Boy band' medieval is perhaps an extreme example, but there can be a general impression that drums were a fairly ubiquitous part of the medieval sound world, at least for the fun and/or loud instrumental genres. So it can be surprising to see that iconographic evidence does not strongly support this.
For example I have rarely seen pictures of drums played with bagpipes, and the standard loud ensembles of shawms (with or without sackbuts) pictured so often entertaining feasts or dances does not include a drummer.
Probably the most common form of drum depicted is the pipe-and-tabor player, usually on their own, although frame drum and fiddle also seems quite a common combination. It would be interesting to know if the term 'taborer' mentioned in written records implies pipe and tabor - this seems particularly plausible when they are employed alone.
On 4th May 1489 Pringill (one of James iv's trumpeters) was paid 28.0d to mend his tabor. But I can't imagine a trumpet and a tabor being played simultaneously...
ReplyDeleteSource: APPENDIX D of Richard Rastall's thesis Secular Musicians in Late Medieval England,
Well, the natural trumpet (as this could well have been) can be played one handed, although I don't recall hearing of a solo trumpet & taborer before now
ReplyDeleteInteresting that illustrations of feasts do not show drummers. In the 14th century romance 'Sir Gawayne and The Green Knight', the first course of a meal is served to king Arthur to the sound of trumpets (hung with bright banners), also pipes and nakers! Of course this is a fictional feast!
ReplyDeleteÞen þe first cors come with crakkyng of trumpes,
Wyth mony baner ful bry3t, þat þer-bi henged,
Nwe nakryn noyse with þe noble pipes,
Wylde werbles & wy3t wakned lote,
Þat mony hert ful hi3e hef at her towches;