Music of King Henry the VIII

00:00 Pastyme with good companye 02:16 Consort XII 03:13 Consort VIII 04:06 Adew madam et ma mastres * 05:50 Without dyscord 07:25 Consort XIII 08:53 Consort III 09:24 Whoso that wyll all feattes optayne 10:18 Whoso that wyll for grace sew 11:57 Consort II 12:52 Gentil prince de renom (a) 13:38 Gentil prince de renom (b) 15:06 Consort XVI 16:20 Consort IV 18:01 Thow that men do call it dotage 21:43 En vray amoure 22:51 Helas madam 23:50 If love now reynyd 25:47 Alac, alac what shall I do * 26:39 Consort XXII 27:41 Consort V 29:23 O my hart 30:13 Alas what shall I do for love * 31:23 The Tyme of youthe 32:01 Consort XV 32:53 Taunder naken * 35:28 Consort XXIII 36:06 Consort XIV 36:58 Lusti yough shuld us ensue * British Museum Additional MS 31922 * Harmonice Musices Odhecaton ST. GEORGE’S CANZONA Directed by John Sothcott , in association with Francis Grubb Philip Langridge, Tenor / John Whitworth, Baritone / Derek Harrison, Counter Tenor Francis Grubb — Alto Rebec / Derek Harrison — Bass Rebec John Lawes — Tenor Recorder and Tenor Crumhorn Michael Oxenham — Cornetto, Recorders, Crumhorns John Sothcott — Rebecs, Recorders, Soprano Crumhorn Leila Ward — Bass Recorder, Tenor Crumhorn, Percussion Music realised by John Sothcott Caught up in a new and growing appreciation of our historic roots, the Tudor period — and Henry Tudor in particular — has recently become the focus of considerable interest. Consequently there is now no lack of opportunity to form an opinion, of the King in his various roles of Statesman, Religious Reformer or Lover. Regarding his abilities as a Musician, however, scant evidence is provided by concert programmes of the attractive cache of pieces which the archivists who created the so-called Henry VIII manuscript have preserved for our pleasure. All the more welcome therefore is this record of music by the Royal composer from which it becomes apparent that the earnest attention paid by Henry to his gift, secured his position in the musical hierarchy of the court as a master, who called upon his servants to do nothing that he was not himself able to do. The source of most of Henry’s compositions — and of all of those featured here — is a collection of some 109 items of music that were performed at court during relatively happy years of the King’s reign which culminated at the Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520, when the French and English cultures typified by this manuscript, met in splended confrontation. The music is in the hand of a single scribe, but some of the texts are in another hand. No fewer than thirty-three pieces are inscribed ‘the Kynge ’, and about two thirds of these are songs expressive of the ever-popular courtly themes of despairing love and lusty delight. The royal pleasures of hunting, dancing and singing are also alluded to, together with a curious and somewhat prim moralisation on the King’s own contemporary domestic happiness and fidelity. Overt, but nontheless touching references to his youthfulness and sobriety are not lacking. Many of Henry’s pieces are short, but they embrace a surprising range of moods and often achieve considerable intensity of expression. The only extended instrumental piece is the polyphonically complex arrangement of the popular Flemish tune Taunder naken. The Melody appears in Odhecaton (1501) and is heard in the present version in the tenor crumhorn (middle) part, being enveloped in the elaborate movements of the treble rebec and bass crumhorn. Another piece connected with the Odhecaton is Gentil Prince. The three-voice unaccompanied version sung here, prior to the accompanied setting, is the original form of the chanson as it appeared in Odhecaton when Henry was but ten years old; and the arrangement in the Tudor manuscript differs from it only in respect of an added voice the work of the King. (In Medieval times the practice of furnishing additional parts to augment existing compositions was fairly common). The links with Odhecaton and the appearance of other French texts in this volume place it firmly with its face towards the Medieval tradition. Italian innovations like the lute air and stately dance tune which mark the transalpine influences of the new school are absent. Accordingly viols were not yet popular at court and do not therefore make an appearance on this record; but other instruments more familiar to Henry are featured instead. The resulting texture (conditioned by the crumhorn and rebec in particular) is earthy rather than etheral, the latter quality being traditionally associated with the Elizabethan school of performance. Virtually nothing is known about the intended instrumentation of early Tudor music which is here sometimes performed by ‘family’ consorts (ie, three rebecs or three recorders) and sometimes by ‘broken’ consorts in which members of various instrumental families combine.