Cantiga is an instrumental ensemble performing the music of the Renaissance, Middle Ages, and early Baroque, plus English Country Dances and Celtic favorites. Founded in 1980, we have principally entertained at Renaissance festivals across the United States.
Cantigas albums are available here on our site, as well as on Bandcamp, and can be streamed here or on Spotify's Cantiga page
Our name, Cantiga
means "song"
...and our name and repertoire are founded on the Cantigas de Santa Maria. See more on the "About Our Music" page.
Texas Renaissance Festival
Our "home" festival
Cantiga has been playing at the Texas Renaissance Festival since 1978! It is the largest, and among the oldest, Renaissance festival in the Americas, with an annual audience averaging over 500,000. TRF founder "King" George Coulam in royal attire watches from the far left.
Scarborough Faire
Through 2024
Cantiga performed at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Texas for over 30 years, through 2024. We played regular shows and for the daily Renaissance dance exhibition.
As the "New World Renaissance Band"
Owain Phyfe's Instrumentalists
Cantiga performed and recorded with the beloved singer Owain Phyfe as "The New World Renaissance Band" on Nightwatch Records. Here Cantiga and Owain are on stage together at Sterling Renaissance Festival, New York, 1994.
Cantiga and Friends
a jam set
At the Texas Renaissance Festival, our last set of the day, at about 5pm, is "Cantiga and Friends," a rousing jam. We're most often joined by members of Clan Tynker, Lena Wieland, Jim Hancock, Amanda Kitchens, Owl Morrison, and the Iron Hill Vagabonds.
We appreciatively credit Steve Kossor for his videos of us performing and for his interviews of Bob Bielefeld.