Michael Franklin is a singer and multi-instrumentalist
specializing in the performance of European medieval,
renaissance and traditional music. He has studied early
music performance at the University of Toronto,
the Royal Conservatory of Music, and with the Sequentia
Ensemble for Medieval Music at the University of
British Columbia.
Michael is active in the Toronto concert scene and has
performed with Ensemble Ben Trobar, The Hogtown Waytes,
Fools Dance, The Toronto Consort and Recordare. He has
been recorded for film and television soundtracks,
for broadcast by the CBC, and has toured in parts of
Quebec and Central Europe with Oriflamme. Michael is also
often heard demonstrating period music and instruments
at many Toronto museums and historic sites.
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Jennifer Francisco is a percussionist and
singer. Her interest in hand drumming styles led
her to study Arabic percussion and the Galician
pandeireta (tambourine) but she also plays
the Irish bodhran and Turkish davul. She has studied
vocal technique as well as Arabic, Balkan and European
medieval singing. As a percussionist Jennifer
performed with the Arabesque Dance Company in their
acclaimed productions Call of the Nile and
Descent of Ishtar at Harbourfron't Studio
Theatre as well as a number of Toronto Fringe Dance
Theatre productions and public Arabic dance demonstrations.
She continues to appear as a vocal soloist and
percussionist in the Echo Women's Choir. In 2001 she
began to perform with the medieval juggling and music
group Oriflamme.
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The artistic collaboration of Jen Francisco and
Mike Franklin, Moresca, presents an exciting
and entertaining mix of mostly European folk and early
music. Combining voices, Arabic and Turkish percussion,
Spanish bagpipes, Hungarian hurdy-gurdy, Renaissance shawms
and crumhorn, and many types of historical and folk flutes,
Moresca brings a fresh perspective to songs and dances
from various musical styles and traditions, and different
times and places.
Moresca has performed at the Royal Ontario Museum,
the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Gardiner Museum of
Ceramic Art, Harbourfront Centre, the Museum of Civilization
in Hull, Quebec, the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Junction
Arts Festival, First Night Toronto 2003, 2004 and the Textile Museum.
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