The Renaissance followed on from the Middle Ages and was for musicians an era of discovery, innovation and exploration – the name means ‘rebirth’. It covers the music from 1400 to 1600. Most music written during this period is intended to be sung, either as large choral pieces in church or as songs or madrigals.

The effects were: Poetry flourished during this period. English poets were inspired by Italian poetry in particular. Edmund Spenser sought to write his own national epic in The Faerie Queene, a work as Protestant as Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is Catholic.

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art.

The Plague Begins During the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance (1350-1450) the bubonic plague, also called the “Black Death,” devastated one half of the population of Europe.

People during the Renaissance enjoyed all sorts of entertainment. They went to festivals, sporting events, and played games such as chess, checkers, and backgammon. Perhaps the biggest event was carnival which took place before Lent each year. People would have big parties and dress up in costumes for the Masquerade.

While Humanism initially began as a predominantly literary movement, its influence quickly pervaded the general culture of the time, re-introducing classical Greek and Roman art forms and contributing to the development of the Renaissance.

Plague is caused by infection with the bacterium Yersinia pestis, usually found in small mammals and their fleas. It is not found in the UK, but occurs in several countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the USA.

Medical historians tell us there have been nine influenza pandemics in the past 300 years. So one every 30 to 35 years or so, or roughly three per century, is everybody’s best guess about the future frequency of influenza pandemics.

In striking similarity to the current Coronavirus pandemic, the Spanish Influenza of 1918 was devastating, reaching all corners of the world and killing an estimated 20 million to 50 million people.