Category: Early Music
Programme Notes for Byrd Concert
William Byrd – Struggle with the Establishment 400 years ago, the eminent English composer William Byrd died, leaving a legacy of over 470 compositions and a profound impact on the musical landscape of England. On his death the Chapel Royal described him, rather uniquely as a “Father of Musick”. Not much is known about Byrd’s…
John Blow and the Court Ode
In Thomas Tudway’s (d. 1726) prefaces to his volumes of Services and Anthems, presented to Lord Edward Harvey between 1715 and 1717, give accounts (and opinions) on the state of church music after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 (see appendix 4). Tudway describes how, along with the monarchy being restored after the Commonwealth…
Music Edition: Arise my Melancholy Soul – John Blow
Music Edition: My Trembling Soul Awake – John Blow
Editorial Procedure, Performance Practice and Advice for Musicians Sources Two manuscripts have been consulted in compiling this edition, Christ Church manuscript 23 (Appendix 1) and British Library Additional manuscript 33287 (Appendix 2). The Christ Church manuscript is described in the John Milsom catalogue as having a late seventeenth century binding, whilst the British Library manuscript…
Reading List for John Blow
M. Adams, ‘Purcell, Blow and the English Court Ode’, in C. Price ed., Purcell Studies (Cambridge, 1995), 172–91 M. Burden, ‘Purcell’s and his Contemporaries’ in M. Burden ed., The Purcell Companion (London, 1995), 52–98 C. Burney, A General History of Music (London, 1776–89; ed. F. Mercer, London, 1935) J. Caldwell, A History of English Music,…