York Mystery Plays, 16th of July 2006 (Sun) II: Cheerful Medieval Music!

The 12 plays of the York cycle were presented on 12 different wagons according to the medieval tradition. There were 4 spots in York to view the pageantry, and every wagon was drawn from one spot to another to give performance. The performers and the wagons paraded the streets between spots following cheerful medieval music. Sometimes when the current play in the spot was about to conclude, the music was also approching from the street announcing the next play's arrival. The mobility of these shows and the trans-spatial melody brought the whole city together. The fact that the pageantry consolidated the communal relationship is in fact more important than its original religious agenda, both in the Middle Ages and the modern times, I believe.

Every pageant entered and exited the spots with music. The musical troops were amazing actors too, they were properly dressed up to fit the medieval theme! The music was simple and clear enough to lighten the hearts loaded with too much solar energy on that afternoon.

Have a go at the music.