Have you ever heard of the regal? The regal is a reed organ, a keyboard instrument that was popular in Europe during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods. The regal does more than recreate an ancient sound. It offers a glimpse into the distinctive sound of the compact keyboard instruments that were once part of European musical life centuries ago. The piece performed here is Canzon a 4 voci by German composer Hans Leo Hassler (1564–1612). A canzon is an instrumental genre that flourished in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. The phrase a 4 voci means “for four voices” or “in four parts.” In this performance, the piece is played on the regal rather than necessarily being sung by four vocalists.