Cançonièr presents music for a fascinating and little-understood phenomenon: during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, certain areas (especially in Germany) experienced brief outbreaks of manic, “contagious” dancing that often afflicted dozens, or even hundreds. Otherwise ordinary people would succumb to a compulsion to dance furiously for days or weeks on end, some to their deaths. Many feared that they had been cursed by saints, and perhaps gave in to mass hysteria; the true causes are still debated. Music was offered for the dancers in the hope that it would ease their suffering, or appease divine wrath. Instrumental and vocal dance music, music of city waits, penitential prayers, and more!

• Annette Bauer:
  recorder, flauto doppio, bagpipe, dulcian, bells, voice
• Phoebe Jevtovic:
  voice
• Shira Kammen:
  vielle, voice
• Tim Rayborn:
  hand drum, hylsung, tabor, voice, citole, psaltery
  With:
• Tom Zajac:
  pipe and tabor, bagpipe, sackbut, recorder, dulce melos, jaw harp, castanets, voice

• $30 for non-members
  $25 for members, seniors and students.
• Advance tickets/more information: (510) 528-1685
• This event is all ages and wheelchair accessible