The Romantic Renaissance Music of Howl-O
An interview with Douglys and Bella of the group Howl-O
by Grace Sydney, Entertainment Editor

"If music be the food of love, play on!" Shakespeare wrote these immortal words centuries ago, but the same sentiment applies to Douglys and Bella of the group Howl-o, whose passion for Olde Worlde music has been a binding force in their life together. Howl-o's music conjures up tales of romance and joy to delight the palette of any romantic. Discover more about this duo in this exclusive interview, then find out if Howl-o is performing in your area at www.howl-o.com!

What first attracted you to Olde World music?

As a lad I would get a ride out to the country and spend the afternoon reading Ivanhoe, eating Rothschild's Candies, and listening to Eldorado by the Electric Light Orchestra. Those summer days really enamored me to the culture of the Enchanted Isles. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is a veritable goldmine of information on Medieval Culture, and one of my favorite books. Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a hilarious spoof of the subject. Speaking of comedy, there's the classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was a major impetus of the Celtic and Renaissance Faire explosion in America. Later on, artists such as Enya gave me a taste of the Celtic sounds. After taking a liking to Renaissance and Fantasy faires, it was just a natural to immerse myself in the music of the Auld Worlde. I found a dusty old book of traditional songs and just began learning them. I think my first one was "Over the Mountains", which rather eloquently speaks of the unstoppable power of love.

Your own love story began at faire. What do you consider to be some of the magical elements that Renaissance faires possess that inspire romance?

You get to meet people that are out of the standard path, and far more interesting conversations tend to come up. You've got a built in opportunity to meet someone whose interests are similar to yours. It's a relaxed atmosphere, you're out in broad daylight; the sound of music and children's laughter wafting through the air. It just gives folks a better chance to get to know if there's more than physical attraction.

People that attend Renaissance faires are by nature a wittier lot than you might ordinarily encounter. There's a code of honor among Rennies that permeates faire life, you just have to experience it firsthand to understand it. So when you meet someone new, there's more of a chance for intellectual or artistic stimulation, something that might result in a most satisfying relationship.

Faire workers and patrons delight in wearing colorful costumes, or 'garb', and the guys aren't limited in their color scheme to black/brown. And yes, you'll see men in tights or kilts, and very secure in their manhood! There's usually a comely Rose Wench running around, too, for ample opportunity to be "spontaneously" romantic with the object of your desire.

The atmosphere is very magical and dreamlike, because the Rennies have already put in countless hours of work. All you need do is enjoy!

Howl-o incorporates both Olde World music and original compositions in both your stage shows and CDs. What are your inspirations for the songs you have written?

Often it's a reaction to nature, glorifying the natural world and honoring the simple around us. We love it when people tell us our songs transport them to another world ~ that is the goal of our music.

You have had the opportunity on your tours to visit a variety of faires around the United States. Do you have a favorite faire that you would like to recommend to our readers?

The Illinois Renaissance Faire, because they are already a theatre group, they are a good show ready to happen, so it makes the whole faire benefit from the planning which stagecraft provides. The Prairie Players are such gifted and dedicated actors, enchantingly entertaining. What is it about this faire that makes it so close to your heart? The warmth of the participants has extended to us, so it thrills our hearts to be there. It's so alive, there's lots of interaction with the patrons. Their Queen is so adorable, and she's also the 'Queen of Improvisation'! All of them are so "on." Even the Pickle Seller is his own show!

The patrons are numerous and enthusiastic. They came there for a great time, and from all the smiles I saw, were not disappointed.

You celebrated your love with a beautiful handfasting ceremony held at a fantasy faire. What advice can you give to couples looking to infuse medieval elements into their own wedding ceremonies?

Just do it! Seriously, there is so much romance built right in to a medieval wedding that you can hardly go wrong. Wildflowers, period garb, bubbles for everyone to blow afterwards, musicians. Remember, you're already coloring outside the lines with a Celtic handfasting, so don't hold back! Oh, and once you've done the prep work to create a magical atmosphere, when the ceremony begins, just flow with it! [see related article on Howl-O's wedding ceremony]

What Olde World melodies do you recommend either for those wanting to set a romantic mood or for those who want Renaissance music played at their wedding?

Over the Mountains
Star of the County Down
Fly Not Yet
All Those Endearing Young Charms
Nonesuch
Mary Mac
Wild Mountain Thyme
Leezy Lindsey
When Morning is Breaking

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about Howl-o?

Come visit us at The e-Den. We recommend pouring a mug of your favorite beverage, closing all other browser windows (you'll need them) and treating your eyes and ears to some great music and art. Find the handfasting link at the Pix Page. See the many quotes and original art/photography at the Howls Page. See the photos and colorful links at our Friends Page, and possibly get your banner on there! Most importantly, we'd like to invite the readers to come to our website and download some tunes. Not just snippets, we offer the entire songs, because that's what we prefer when sampling an artist's work.

For our latest CD, Where Legend Remains, we wanted to create an ethereal collection of fantasy tales in song. So there's a wide range of that theme; "Gypsies, Elves and Thieves", if you will. For example, Mica Mica Parva Stella is our arrangement of Twinkle Little Star, in Latin, with lots of electric guitars and those stratospheric vocals of Bella's. We produced an arranged it as we do all of our albums. We also freelance as music producers and web designers, and are based in the Ozark Mountains.

In our newsletter, The e-Den Update, we offer links to unreleased remixes, and often feature the work of our favorite artists! It's also a great way to stay on track of the latest Howl-o adventures and insights!

One thing we hear a lot from other musicians introducing us at faire is, " Now, for something completely different!" That's because we just don't sound like what most people expect to hear at a Renaissance Faire. We've never tried to exactly duplicate what a band might have sounded like during the Renaissance era, it's just not our gig. We infuse our own style into the tunes, and also do original songs. Also we don't limit ourselves to one particular style. You might hear influences of Celtic, New Age, Folk and Mountain Music in a single CD or concert. Because in the end we're about making the music fun.

Related Story: The Wedding of Douglys & Bella

Photos courtesy Howl-O