The early years of Henry VIII’s reign were a time of ostentatious pageantry, ceremonial and courtly entertainments of all kinds. Royal entries, tournaments, funerals, executions, banquets, coronations, christenings were all ceremonial occasions in which music had a function. Very little actual ceremonial music has survived; most of it was probably never written down. But many songs and dances do survive from the lavish court entertainments, masques, ‘Mayings’ and so forth which distinguished the young King’s court and diminished his privy purse. Part of an ongoing mini-series on Eloquence, ‘The Tudors’ presents a series of recordings of the music of this dynasty.
WILLIAM CORNYSH: Blow thy horn, hunter
JACOBUS BARBIREAU: En frolyk weson
HENRY VIII: Taunder naken
WILLIAM CORNYSH: Ah Robin, gentle Robin
ANONYMOUS: Three Dances – Basse danse: Il me fuffit · Galliard: Rocha el fuso · Pavane: Vegnando da Bologna
JEAN RICHAFORT: Chanson: Demon triste desplaisir
ANONYMOUS: Instrumental fancy
WILLIAM CORNYSH: Adieu! mes amours
HEINRICH ISAAC: La my
ANONYMOUS: I am a jolly foster
ANTOINE BUSNOIS: Fortune esperée
ANONYMOUS:
Two Dances – La morisque · Passo e mezzo
Where be ye, my love?
My Lady Carey’s Dumpe
Galliard: Il buratto
WILLIAM DAGGERE: Downberry down
ANONYMOUS:
Henry VIII’s Pavane
Two Dances – Galliard: La traditora · Allemande prince
Hey trolly lolly lo
The Antyck
HENRY VIII: Pastime with good company
Purcell Consort of Voices
Grayston Burgess
Musica Reservata
Michael Morrow
FIRST INTERNATIONAL RELEASE ON CD
Recording Producer: Michael Bremner
Balance Engineer: Stanley Goodall
Recording Location: Decca Studio 3, West Hampstead, London, UK, 11–12 September 1967
‘There is plenty to delight the ear on this record … The songs […] are very good music indeed, and anyone who has not yet come across “Pastime with good company”, or “I am a jolly foster” should make their acquaintance forthwith, for their tunes are full of vigour.’ Gramophone