Here are two really good sources of period songs from Early Modern Germany, that aren't church songs. Plus, they include the music to sing them and what original text they were gathered from.
Two very nice things considering that they were published in the mid-19th century!

50 Ballads and Love Songs of the 16th and early 17th century, with the old tunes
Fünfzig ungedruckte Balladen und
Liebeslieder des xvi. Jahrhunders: mit den alten Singweisen
By Franz Wilhelm Ditfurth, Published 1877

Review: I really like this book as he gives the original source of the song, what book, where it was published and even the page number! Pretty good documentation for such an old book.

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The Historic Folk Songs of the Germans from the 13th to the 16th Century
Die historischen Volkslieder der Deutschen vom 13. Bis 16. Jahrhundert by
Compiled by Rochus Liliencron, Published 1865 -1869
Volume 1: 1243 to 1447
Volume 2: 1471 to 1507
Volume 3: 1507 to 1529
Volume 4: 1530 to 1554

Volume 5: The Tunes and Alphabetical Index

Review: A very through and scholarly set of books. He gives the orginal publication source of the song/poem, historical background behind it, notes on the text, etc. I wish that there was a table that linked the words of the songs in volumes 1-4 with the tunes in volume 5, but there isn't. You either have to hunt through them, or better yet, use the Google search tools on volume 5 to find the name of the song that you are looking for. Other than that slight inconvenience, its a really great resource, and I love that its online and free!

When it rains it pours!

Sometimes when you prospect for information (aka data mining) you hunt and hunt and turn up nothing but empty. Other days you are practically drowning in new discoveries and can barely handle everything.

Today is a "barely keeping my head above water" sort of day, here are the gems.

First, A Atlas, dated middle 16th century, WDB,
Cod.Guelf. 4.1 Aug. 4° (Battista Agnese, Portulanatlas, Mitte 16. Jh.)
http://diglib.hab.de/mss/4-1-aug-4f/start.htm

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Then this very odd box, also from the WDB
Cod.Guelf. 90 Aug. 8° (A. Kircher, Arca musurgica)
http://diglib.hab.de/?objekte=90-aug-8f

Its a wooden box, with wooden sticks, with writing on them, that have to do with music, as the box has musical scales on the sides for four parts. Its dated to the 17th century.

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This book is a "Varia" Book, dated 15th century. Its got some really interesting writings having to do with musical composition on page 33. In the 40 page range, it looks like class notes or similar and has diagrams about the music notation in use at the time.
82.6 Quod. (8a) = Heinemann Nr. 4045 (varia de poesi, musica, astronomia, 15. Jh.)
http://diglib.hab.de/mss/82-6-quod-8a/start.htm

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One of the things I'd dearly love to learn to do is read period sheet music, like these broadsheets of songs by Marting Luther

http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/MI08018b06a.jpg
http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/MI08018b09b.jpg

Found on Bildindex at
Orte / N / Nürnberg / Sammlungen / Germanisches Nationalmuseum / Bibliothek / sonstiger Bestand, nach Sachgebieten

One of the things that I love most about ysabelot is that even though we are polar opposites when it comes to politics and religion, we can still manage to be friends, we just agree to disagree and move on. On the occasions where one or the other gets carried away, we give out our little code word for each other for when we are getting out of control, we say "Howabout our king, Charles the Fifth? "

In honor of this, I present the following song from an embroidered song book from the Imperial collection, "Imperial Music at Ambras Castle: Written under the Emperors Charles V. and Ferdinand I." edited by Walter Salmen, ISBN 3-900590-23-0.

This is a motet written for Charles the Fifth's triumphant return from Italy and praises him as a peacemaker. Its arranged for 6 voices, Discantus, Contratenor, Contratenor secundus, Tenor, Vagans and Bassus and probably composed about 1530. I wish I knew someone who could take the music sheets printed in the book and create a midi out of them for me, I could easily sing the discantus part. There is also a song in there praising Ferdinand I's wife Anne of Hungary and Austria, for which there is no translation given unfortunatly.

Martia terque quater

Martia terque quater / Triumphans Caesar ab Italia / Carolus ecce venit!

Aurea qui terris revehat regnata / Parente secula Saturno / Carolus ecce venit!

Vana superstitio proculi discordia / Demens pacifer ac vindex / Carolus ecce venit

English translation

Applause three times, martial Germany / Look, Emperor Charles is back with triumph from Italy!

He who may bring back to the countries the Golden Ages / Reigned by Father Saturn / Look, Charles is back!

Vain is superstition, and foolish persistant discord / The peace-bringer and vindicator / Charles, look, is back!