Minstrelsy in medieval France

Abstract

Records in civic archives have afforded scholars valuable insights into the rich and diverse musical activities in European cities during the Middle Ages. These studies highlight the importance of civic music during this period as reflected in the persistent patronage of different institutions, and the significant duties assigned to the highly skilled instrumentalists in their employ. A fresh survey of civic musical patronage in medieval France is, however, long overdue and Gretchen Peters’s comprehensive new monograph is therefore a welcome contribution to this field. In this extensive study, Peters paints a detailed picture of the patronage of minstrels by French city authorities in 1300–1500, as intertwined with political developments. Drawing on the wealth of extant archival sources for over 20 cities across France, Peters’s study is a much-needed addition to research on civic musical patronage during this period. The impressive range of information accrued from newly discovered archival documents such as account books, tax records, employment and apprenticeship contracts, and even property listings and wills, is presented in an easily accessible form: translations of original documents are neatly integrated into the narrative with the original French or Latin texts retained in footnotes for the reader’s reference.