Haven't seen The Green Knight yet, but I thought this reflection on what the composer learned as part of the process was fascinating!
https://deadline.com/2022/01/daniel-hart-the-green-knight-composer-score...
What ancient instruments have you learned for projects? What would you love to learn for a future project?
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I have never written ancient music but I have once used "Renaissance Flutes" in a piece. Though I have to admit it was not for Renaissance Music but rather as a substitute for a pan flute in a South American style track http://soundcloud.com/joelirwin/Peru
( the ones I used camed from https://www.sampletekk.com/wind-instruments?product_id=180)
What I have found is that a simple wind instrument can produce some very interesting sounds once you start thinking about alternatives from Orchestral flutes. Take native American flutes, penny/tin whistle, or ethnic flutes such as the ney (middle eastern) and fula (african).So yes - doing a 'period piece' using authentic instruments and music of the period would be quite interesting and fun but my idea here is that it is still possible to use non-orchestral flutes to define a music mood. We all know, for example the type of mood that has been long defined by the use of a tin whistle in Titanic.
Oh, I love that - that sometimes you use ancient instruments to create the right sound, not necessarily to reflect the time period ('cause who would know that listening to it, really).
I'd love to learn the nyckelharpa like Hart talks about! And the tangelharpa and the cwrth. I've learnt world instruments for projects before but never anything ancient yet.
And of course, Joel is right, you can use any instrument for anything if it sounds right. I use my sarangi (a bowed Indian string instrument) for all kinds of stuff because it has the texture and quality I want. No one knows it's there apart from me!
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I started playing the Reyong a few months ago. I am saving up to purchase a tagelharpa.