Pneuma Ensemble is a trio specializing in medieval music. Their first adventure in musical storytelling was in 2016, with the 12^th century tale of a werewolf hero, Bisclaveret, which premiered at Durham Castle; with more recent work in Middle English, Old French, and Latin. Pneuma performs on reconstructions of period instruments: Gaven Dianda most often on the gittern, citole (with its holly leaf shape), and oud (arabic lute), Eleanor Verrette chiefly on the vielle, a forerunner of the viola. Tricia Postle sings and plays the psaltery, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Music at the University of Cambridge as a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholar.

Oiez signur! Twelfth century verse narrative in performance

The title refers to the Old French performer’s call to attention. Pneuma will focus on three unusual narratives: the Song of Sainte Foy, written in early Occitan, a dance song celebrating a famous girl saint; the Estorie des Engles by Geoffrey Gaimar, in the Anglo-Norman dialect, and Floire et Blancheflor, possibly one of the most popular works of the 12^th century, in Old French. They will stage several short performances, including other works from the period, at various locations at Camargo, hoping to gain insights about best practices for presentation.