Hurdy Gurdy (Vielle à Roue)

Accomplished musician Debra Dawson demonstrates this French folk instrument whose roots go back to the Middle Ages. A favorite of troubadors, minstrels and itinerant performers, the vielle can be seen as a kind of fiddle, with the strings bowed by the turning of a crank which rotates a wheel under that decorated dark curved piece. The carved head is a tribute to 19th century author Georges Sand, who wrote Les Maitres Sonneurs (The Master Pipers), a celebration of village music and its players. Thanks to the work of countless passionate scholars and musicians like Debra, the vielle is alive and well as part of a vibrant folk scene in central France and throughout the world.

The occasion for us? The season opener for the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival: Tour de France, Music from the French Provinces, a lively and fascinating evening.