UC Irvine

Life in a medieval village brings familiarity with many sounds and noises.The wind breezes gently in summer but whistles in winter. The rain dropssoftly in spring but pours in fall. A clap of thunder suddenly invites astorm, and the sun comes out warmly as if nothing has happened. Theleaves rustic and dance down to the ground. The brook murmurs, and thesnow falls silently. A lone wolf howls in the night, the cocks crow at dawn,and the birds chirp in the morning. The water mill wrns slowly andsteadily. The boat's rudder chops the water, and the waves lap :igainst tl1eshore. On a distant hill, a shepherd blows his horn to herd his flocksthat dangle jingling bells around their necks. The woodcutter cuts :i tree,making echoes all over the forest. The hunter's arrow whines toward aleaping hare. Men plow the field with lumbering oxen. The lunch crowdjoyously gathers under a tree after the morning's hard work. Women dropa bucket into a well, talking and laughing. Children play clamorously,blowing handmade pipes and beating clappers. The dog barks at ameowing cat. A hay wagon rattles on the stony road. A man rushesthrough the village on a neighing horse. The ice skaters make merry noiseson the frozen lake. And the church bells toll, joyously, sadly, :l lanni.ngly,or proudly. On some days, the villagers hear unfamiliar sounds that drnwtheir attention and seduce them to stop whatever they arc doing. Thenew sounds come from the outsiders. They travel from town to town,village to village, bringing merchandise, news, entertainment, disease, andtrouble.

Series: Critical and Cultural Musicology (Book 5)