A number of social forces were at work creating the culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance; the Church, royalty, nobility and peasantry. In the Middle Ages, music education, composition and performance was dominated by the Church. During the Renaissance, the influence of the Church began to wane, due to the influence of humanistic philosophy on Aristocrats and the upper middle class, helping to greatly expand the horizons of music. In the upcoming sections, you'll be invited to explore resources devoted to aspects of music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The sites described below are intended as starting points for those interested in the general cultural and historic backdrop of the period.

http://www.ibiscom.com/mefrm.htm

Eyewitness to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance - History through the eyes of those who lived it.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

The Internet Medieval Sourcebook contains an index of selected and excerpted texts, along with overviews of studying medieval history.

http://www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us/antiqua/instrumt.html

An index with photos of common medieval instruments.