One of the predecessors of American folk music is European music from the Renaissance era, roughly the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Courtly Noyse brings that music to life, complete with period repertoire, costumes, and instruments, some of which you will recognize as the grandparents of our guitars, violins, and dulcimers. This will be an intimate concert with little or no amplification. Courtly Noyse plays recorders, viola da gamba, vielle, krummhorns, cornamuse, cornetti, shawms, sacbuts, Renaissance guitar, chalumeau, hurdy gurdy, bowed psaltery, mandolin, gemshorns, rackett, and various percussion instruments (and this list is constantly growing!). They may also cast their instruments aside at the drop of a (Tudor) hat, and burst into five-part vocal harmony. Jay Sacks plays recorder, cornetto, shawm, krummhorn, chalumeau, gemshorn, cavaquihno, cornamuse, percussion, and sings tenor. He has played with the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Orchestra, the UCLA Symphonic Band, the UCSD Wind Ensemble, the Merrye Windes, and The Westwynde Consort. He has sung with the La Jolla Symphony Chorus, the San Diego Master Chorale, Musique Classique, Schola Pacifica, and Full Measure Carolers. He presently plays with The San Diego Jazz Big Band and The Kearny Mesa Concert Band. Sandra Stram plays viola da gamba, vielle, recorder, and krummhorn, and sings soprano. She retired after thirty-four years teaching strings and recorder in San Diego County public schools. She still works as an adjudicator and clinician for SCSBOA, MENC, and Festivals of Music. Sandra holds a MM degree in viol performance, and also plays Baroque violin in Kensington Baroque Orchestra. She has served on the Board of the San Diego Early Music Society and frequently performed for the their “Old Master” concert series. While continuing to play violin and viola with local Baroque chamber groups, she also plays fiddle with the bands Billy Lee and the Gulf Coasters and The Wild Oats. Vickie Jenkins plays recorder, cornamuse, krummhorn, harpsichord, percussion, gemshorn, and sings. She teaches music at The Child’s Primary School and Gateways Summer School, and taught piano lessons for fifty years. During the holiday season, she sang with Full Measure Carolers. Vickie has performed with ensembles at San Diego Mesa College, Scripps College, and SDSU, and has a music degree from Scripps College. Other former groups include Pacific Camerata, Madonna Non Papa, Melismata, Las Voces, and Schola Cantorum. Laury Flora started his musical career with piano lessons at age five. He went on to study French horn and other brass, guitar, and violin. He has performed vocally with various choirs and madrigal groups, and founded several barbershop quartets. In addition to singing, he plays recorder, krummhorn, rackett, psaltery, gemshorn, sacbut, lute, and cornetto. He sings with the La Jolla Renaissance Singers, and has sung with Full Measure Carolers, an a cappella ensemble which performs holiday music in San Diego and Orange Counties. Laury built the krummhorns, psaltery, and rackett that Courtly Noyse plays. Lissette Ryan is a mezzo soprano who plays the harp, cittern, guitar, harpsichord, recorder, crumhorn, and hurdy gurdy. She teaches music in Alpine, finding immense joy in encouraging young musicians. You can also find her regularly performing with the Storytellers of San Diego, where she pairs harp with traditional storytelling, and with the duo String and Wheel. Cathe Sobke holds degrees in music composition and music theory from SDSU. She grew up playing piano, clarinet, and guitar, and was introduced to early music during graduate studies about twenty-five years ago. Recently retired from teaching at Southwestern College, she continues to teach privately and enjoys performing in many early music groups including The Goliards, as well as Kensington Baroque Orchestra, Dolce Dolore, The Granada Consort, Musica Nova Anitiqua, and Ensemble Lonato. Visit: www.courtlynoyse.com
