Classic FM's Fast And Friendly Guide To Early Music

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Download Classic FM's music period collections

Classic FM collection: Early & Renaissance: 1400 to 1600 artwork

Classic FM collection: Early & Renaissance: 1400 to 1600 Various artists: 1400 to 1600 Ensemble: The Sixteen; Gabrieli Consort; The Consort of Musicke and more

Classic FM collection: Baroque: 1600 to 1750 artwork

Classic FM collection: Baroque: 1600 to 1750 30 tracks - £6.99 Ensemble: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; Academy of Ancient Music and more Soloists: Janine Jansen; Elin Manahan Thomas; Andreas Scholl; Daniel Hope and more

Features

Hans Zimmer hid this ominous medieval chant in his score to ‘The Lion King’

Hans Zimmer hid this ominous medieval chant in his score to ‘The Lion King’

Oldest song melody. Hurrian hymn

Listen to the enchanting sound of the world’s oldest song, the Hurrian Hymn

Early music quiz

Only an early music wizard can name these obscure medieval and Renaissance instruments

Sumer is icumen in

Listen to one of the oldest songs ever written, ‘Sumer is icumen in’

Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen: life and music of the great female composer

Saint Kassia of Constantinople, 1990s. Artist: Kis

Listen to the music of the first female composer: Kassia a 9th-century Byzantine abbess

Early music composers