      
Between 1976 and 1981, The Renaissance Players recorded a series of five albums, one for Viking Records (NZ) and four (including a double) for Cherry Pie Records. All of these vinyl LPs and cassettes are long-deleted but it is hoped that they will eventually be reissued on compact disc.
Beginning as a 25th Anniversary project in 1992, The Renaissance Players have so far made new recordings for a total of seventeen full-length CDs, and more are planned. The music comes from several distinct genres, each covering a number of CDs at present:
- Selections from the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a 13th century collection by King Alfonso X of Spain (aka King Alfonso el Sabio or King Alfonso The Wise) of around 430 songs in praise of the Virgin Mary and many miracles credited to her.
- Dance music of the medieval period.
- The music and poetry of the Sephardic Jews, who were expelled from Spain in the Diaspora of 1492 and settled in Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Egypt and elsewhere.
- Music and songs from the Llibre Vermell, the "Red Book" of Catalonia.
To date, seven CDs in the Cantigas and Dance series, the four-volume Sephardic series, a Cantigas compilation album and a double CD of 1998/1999-era material called Testament have been released around the world.
Click on (most) images to enlarge them and (sometimes) to obtain tracklistings:
(Thanks to Peter Levan on the Renaissance Players Forum for the Cherry Pie LP scans!)
Memories Of English Minstrelsy
1976
Viking VP457
Out of Print
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The Muses' Gift
(Dance I)
1993
WAL 8003-2
Out of Print
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Venus' Fire
(Dance II)
1994
WAL 8004-2
Out of Print
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The Ring Of Creation
(Dance III)
1994
WAL 8005-2
Out of Print
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Garland Dances
(Dance IV)
1995
WAL 8006-2
Out of Print
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Songs For A Wise King
(Cantigas I)
1996
WAL 8007-2
Out of Print
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Maria Morning Star
(Cantigas II)
1996
WAL 8008-2
Out of Print
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Mirror Of Light
(Cantigas III)
1996
WAL 8035-2
Out of Print
1997 ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association)
Awards Nominee: Classical Category
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FUTURE RELEASES
Cantigas de Santa Maria
Volumes IV and V
Llibre Vermell
Volumes I & II
Cantigas Box Set
Details to be confirmed
Mediæval Dance Box Set
Details to be confirmed
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Thorns of Fire
(Sephardic Experience I)
1998
Celestial Harmonies 13166-2
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Apples & Honey
(Sephardic Experience II)
1998
Celestial Harmonies 13167-2
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Gazelle & Flea
(Sephardic Experience III)
1999
Celestial Harmonies 13168-2
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Eggplants
(Sephardic Experience IV)
1999
Celestial Harmonies 13169-2
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The Sephardic Experience Box Set
(Sephardic Experience Volumes I-IV)
1999
Celestial Harmonies 19911-2
Limited Edition
Features the four Sephardic CDs in a handsome black linen-covered box. Contains all originally-released tracks, plus all the original liner booklets and artwork.
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I Call Australia Home
(Australian Artists Sampler Compilation)
2000
Celestial Harmonies 13194-2
Featuring many of the Australian artists in the large
Celestial Harmonies catalogue, including Michael Askill,
Synergy, ex-Renaissance Player Michael Atherton,
Stevie Wishart/Sinfonye and more.
Selections by Doug Spencer,
founder/producer of "The Planet"
on ABC Radio National and Radio Australia.
Contains one Renaissance Players track,
"Los guisados de la berenjena",
previously released on "Eggplants" (13169-2)
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TESTAMENT
(Archangels' Banquet / Shepherds' Delight)
2000
Celestial Harmonies 14197-2
A double CD containing studio recordings of
handpicked material from our 1998 and 1999 concerts.
33 tracks, 145 minutes
of brand new recordings.
"A thumping good recording. Buy one"
Madeleine Rowles,
Early Music News, January 2001.
Of Numbers And Miracles:
Selected Cantigas de Santa Maria
2001
Celestial Harmonies 13091-2
A selection of tracks from our Cantigas series of CDs.
Selections and sleeve notes by
John Schaefer of New York.
All tracks remastered for this release.
(listed in the 2000 Celestial Harmonies catalogue,
prior to release, as "The Best of The Renaissance Players",
but never released under this title)
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World Music from Celestial Harmonies:
Your World Is An Amazing Place
2002
Celestial Harmonies 14229-2
A two-CD compilation of 39 tracks from the broad cross-section of world music recordings offered by Celestial Harmonies. Selections chosen by Dr Florian Messner of SBS Radio, Australia.
Contains one Renaissance Players track,
"Haralambis",
previously released on "Apples & Honey" (13167-2)
"People who sing together don't shoot each other. Perhaps George Bush and Saddam Hussein should form a choir - then the world really would be an amazing place!"
Eckart Rahn, Celestial Harmonies, 2002.
Australian-only release
Available now!
RRP $40.00
(seen for $34.95)
All Renaissance Players CDs released on the Celestial Harmonies label, as well as the Sephardic Box Set, should be available for purchase and/or order at your favourite Australian shop. Some stockists may still have copies of the 1993-1996 Walsingham Classics releases (the Dances and Cantigas series) although these titles were deleted some time ago.
If you encounter any difficulty with obtaining our Celestial Harmonies CDs or the Box Set in Australia for any reason, please contact us. We'd like to know about it!
All Celestial Harmonies releases are distributed in Australia by MGM Distribution.
The full range of CDs (including our own stock of the deleted Walsingham Classics releases) is still available directly from us at our concerts and through Michael's Music Room, Town Hall Arcade, Sydney. Come and complete your collection!
Many of our CD releases are available for ordering worldwide online.
All CD cover artwork for releases on the
Walsingham Classics label is Copyright
© 1993-1997 Winsome Evans/The Renaissance Players.
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