John Fleagle, Philadelphia, 1990

“John was a native of Woodstock, Connecticut. He played drums in a rock band in high school and then went to the Berklee College to study string bass. His work with the late Marleen Montgomery in the 70s is what transformed him into the singer and storyteller that touched the lives of so many around the world. He delved into the music and lore of the middle ages, learned to build his own instruments - harp, psaltery, hurdy gurdy - and traveled extensively in search of songs and tales that had been lost for centuries. Over the years his work with such groups as Alexander’s Feast, the Ensemble Project Ars Nova and, most recently, Fortune’s Wheel brought his gfits to the astonished attention of audiences from Germany and Holland to Mexico and Vancouver, BC. He appeared frequently with the Boston Camerata and the Christmas Revels. His uncanny voice, with its extraordinary range, brought vivid life to these ancient songs of love and death, magic and mysticism. He seemed to have stepped directly