About

Historical flute and drum, Holly Scarborough and Philipp Wingeier, Zweigulden

Zweigulden interprets medieval and Renaissance music through the lens of evocative historical subjects. Under the direction of Holly Scarborough, their performances transform archival material into immersive musical narratives that speak today on multiple levels, from the Strasbourg dancing plague of 1518 (“The Curse of St. Veit”) to the folklore of William Tell and the tournament spectacles of Emperor Maximilian I.

The ensemble has been invited to perform at the Festival Voix & Route Romane, the Greifenberg Music Festival, and the ReRenaissance Festival. In 2026 they released their first recording, FELDSPIEL.

In addition to concert performances, Scarborough’s research on the Renaissance flute and drum has been presented at numerous conferences and universities such as Mainz, Augsburg, and MedRen. Together, Scarborough and Wingeier have crafted an exciting new repertoire for this once prevalent instrumental combination.

Director Holly Scarborough is an early flutist, artistic director, and scholar specializing in medieval and Renaissance music. Since 2023, she has served as Managing Director of ReRenaissance, bringing Renaissance music to a broad public. She is also Co-Managing Director of Interfinity, an interdisciplinary festival that bridges science and the arts with a particular focus on contemporary music.

[ˈtsvaɪ̯ˌɡʊldn̩]

The name Zweigulden means “two gold coins.” It carries an old-fashioned, fairy tale vibe, at least for German speakers. I first came across it when I was researching the activities of Antony Dornstetter, the main flutist in the service of Emperor Maximilian I. In official court payment records, we learn that he and other musicians would get paid 1–2 Gulden in exchange for an evening of entertainment. (This was pretty generous; a regular soldier’s monthly wage was 4 Gulden).

Anthoni pfeyffer ij guldin, anndres pfeyffer j guldin vnnd Jorgl trummelslager j guldin auf Ir livergelt, facit iiij guldin R[heinisch]. March 13, 1500, Schwäbisch Wörth. MG 7, fol. 62r

Our goal is to deliver performances worthy of castles and kings,
never losing sight of historical music’s original purpose:
to inspire, delight, and entertain.

Highlights

With historical dancers: a suite of music and choreography inspired by sources and melodies of the late fifteenth century fit for a Habsburg emperor.

Zweigulden circle dance, The Curse of St. Veit, dir Holly Scarborough

With contemporary dancers, “The Curse of St. Veit,” about the famous dancing plague of 1518, where hundreds filled the streets of Strassburg, unable to stop dancing.

A musical montage with historical fencers on Basel’s Barfüsserplatz at the 2023 ReRenaissance Festival

Apples and crossbows! Our William Tell kids concert spotlights the stories and music of a Renaissance hero

Research

Historical illustration of a medieval procession with people walking and two men playing musical instruments on a elevated platform.

Scarborough, Holly. “Kaiserisch: The Flute and Drum in the Art of Reformation Augsburg.” Musik-Stadt-Augsburg, University of Augsburg, 16 September 2024.

Scarborough, Holly. “Music of the Landsknechte (Lecture-Recital).” Mini Study Day about Military Renaissance Flutes with Boaz Berney, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. 13. March 2024. Invited Presentation, accompanied by Philipp Wingeier.

Scarborough, Holly. “Music of the 16th-century Landsknechte: Maximilian’s Military Flute and Drum (Lecture-Recital).” Hörsaal der Musikwissenschaft / Philosophicum (organized in cooperation with the Institut für Musik-wissenschaft). Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet Mainz. 20 November 2023. Invited Presentation, accompanied by Philipp Wingeier.

Scarborough, Holly. “On Battlefields and in Frauenzimmer: Contexts of Maximilian’s Flute-and-Drum Ensemble around 1500.” Poster presented at: Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference (MedRen) 2023; 24.–28. July 2023; Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Munich Residence, Munich, Germany. Awarded MedRen 2023 Poster Prize, 3rd place Poster link

Scarborough, Holly. “On Battlefields and in Frauenzimmer: Contexts of Maximilian’s Flute-and-Drum Ensemble circa 1500.” Donnerstag Akademie. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Klaus-Linder Saal. 12 January 2023. Invited Presentation with Philipp Wingeier.

Wingeier, Philipp. “Basler Trommeln: zwischen Notation und Interpretation.” Donnerstag Akademie. Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Klaus-Linder Saal. 12 January 2023. Invited Presentation with Holly Scarborough.

Two musicians stand outdoors in an urban setting, holding flutes, smiling at the camera.

Close-up of a wooden flute and a black and silver metal object resting on red fabric with pleats.

Two women in red dresses and fencing masks engage in a fencing match with small foils, while three women in black and white attire watch, on a cobblestone square in front of a historic building with green shutters.

Four people in historical costumes standing on cobblestone square in front of a church. Two men wear red Renaissance-style dresses with black trim, black hats with white feathers, and hold swords. A woman in the center wears a white skirt, black top,

People dressed in red and black costumes performing a traditional or theatrical dance in front of a historic building with large wooden doors and green window shutters.

Support

Donations can be made to our ensemble,
a registered non-profit organisation:

IBAN: CH47 0900 0000 1630 7414 8
BIC POFICHBEXXX
Bank: PostFinance

Ensemble Zweigulden
4001 Basel, Switzerland