Introducing the next generation
to Renaissance music
Shawms and Stories
Shawms and Stories is a 30-60 minute interactive musical storytelling program of music, dance, costumes, props, and visual projections designed for children and their families. The project is hosted by libraries, museums, and community centers in South-Central Indiana with support from local and regional grants. We currently have two programs: The Very Last Castle (K-5) and The Really Awful Musicians (K-5).
The Very Last Castle
“The Very Last Castle” (2018) by Travis Jonker with illustrations by Mark Pett. Highlighting themes of friendship, courage, and diversity, the story’s protagonist Ibb builds up the courage to enter the modern city’s castle, despite warnings of monsters, giants, and snakes. Forgotten Clefs tells the story featuring Renaissance instruments like the sackbut, dulcian, and crumhorn representing the antagonists: monsters, giants, and snakes!
The Really Awful Musicians
Forgotten Clefs performers tell the story of the "The Really Awful Musicians" (John Manders). Music by Patrick Dittamo. We sing songs read the story, introduce unusual instruments (like sackbut, pipe and tabor, and lute), and explore themes of teamwork, music, inclusion, and history.
Collaboration
Forgotten Clefs regularly collaborates with visual artists, dancers, and narrators to bring alive our community engagement programming. In 2018 we commissioned music for for pipe and tabor, recorders, sackbut, lute, harp, tambourin provençale, & narrator from composer Patrick Dittamo for our program “The Really Awful Musicians”.
