Music from the Time of Henry VIII

On this CD:

1. England, be Glad
Composed by Anonymous

2. Nachtanz Das ist ein Scheiden
Composed by Tylman Susato

3. Whereto should I express
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

4. La Spagna
Composed by Spanish Anonymous

5. Bransles de Bourgongne (2), for ensemble
Composed by Pierre Attaingnant

6. Madame d'amours
Composed by English Anonymous

7. Scarmella
Composed by Anonymous

8. If Love Now Reynyd for 3 voices
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

9. I am a jolly foster
Composed by Anonymous

10. En Vray Amoure for 4 voices
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

11. Hélas madame
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

12. Schafertanz
Composed by Tylman Susato

13. Fa la Sol for 3 viols
Composed by William Cornysh

14. Pavane for brass ensemble ("La Bataille")
Composed by Tylman Susato

15. And I war a maydyn
Composed by Anonymous

16. O Doulce Amour
Composed by Claudin de Sermisy

17. Work(s) Unspecified Ronde
Composed by Tylman Susato

18. En Esperant
Composed by Claudin de Sermisy

19. Why shall I not?
Composed by Anonymous

20. De vous servir m'est prins envie, chanson for 4 voices
Composed by Claudin de Sermisy

21. The Emperor's Pavan
Composed by Anonymous

22. Time to Pass With Goodly Sport
Composed by Anonymous

23. Taunder Naken for diverse instruments
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

24. Si Fortune
Composed by Anonymous

25. Blow thy horn, hunter
Composed by William Cornysh

26. Amour me Poingt
Composed by Claudin de Sermisy

27. The King's Pavan
Composed by Anonymous

28. Hola Hey! Pa la Vertu Goy
Composed by Anonymous

29. Ronde for renaissance ensemble ("Mon Amy")
Composed by Tylman Susato

30. In Wilderness
Composed by Anonymous

31. Gentil prince de renom
Composed by King of England Henry VIII

32. I have been a foster
Composed by Anonymous

33. Ronde, "Wo Bistu"
Composed by Tylman Susato

34. Vive le Roy
Composed by Anonymous

Customer Reviews:

2* Scholarship; 4* Performances.......2005-08-12

This CD is segmented into 6 parts, one for each wife averaging 5 tracks each (for full track listing, go to Signum Records Homepage). The conception is original and interesting; but the oft-bizarre allocation of material warns of the impracticality of such an approach (perhaps largely because music directly connected to the Queens often doesn't survive, e.g. the 'newe balads' sung by the 'qwyre' at Anne Boleyn's coronation, 1533 [Withington, 'English Pagaentry', i, 184]).

Firstly, the tracks from 'Henry VIII's MS' (c.1510-20) can justifiably be connected only to Catherine of Aragon (r.1509-33). E.g. Cornyshe's 'Blow thi horne' [6] - here under Anne Boleyn (r.1533-6) - finds a more likely context in a disguising like that celebrating the 'New Year's Boy' (1511) where 'the pageant rested before the Quene [Catherine], the forenamed forsters blew their hornes, then the deuise or pageant opened...' (Edward Halle). Similarly Henry VIII's "compositions" (erroneously credited here as anon, contradicting HVIII's MS), 'Gentil Prince' and 'En vray amour' (11 + 12) - in the Jane Seymour (r.1536-7) section - are better seen alongside Foreign Ambassadors' reports praising the King's musicianship early in his reign (e.g. Giustinian, 1515 etc). Certainly, Henry's 'Adew Madame' (24) - again wrongly credited as anon - is an unlikely choice for Katherine Howard to have sung with Henry Mannox, her music teacher because (a) neither were in inner court circles then (1536), (b) it is over 20 years old and (c) it is in French (her only known correspondance is in English). [Thorby also grossly exaggerates the importance of Mannox in her downfall, which was mostly a result of the affairs with Dereham and Culpeper].

Other selections are equally suspect: a ricercar (15) by Capirola (pub. Venice 1517) for Jane Seymour (1536-7) linking to the 'Duke of Somersett's dompe' (16) which, though based on Capirola's 'Padoana belissima' (1517), is a transcription from BL Royal MSS App. 58 (not earlier than 1540); the anon (NOT as here Henry VIII!) 'Time to pas' (20) - in the Katherine Howard (r.1540-2) section - is from a court play 'The Four Elements', c.1517.
But easily the most unsuccessful allocations are the 3 pieces for Anna of Cleves (r.1540): Barbireau's (d.1491) popular 'Een vroulyk' (HVIII's MS, c.1510-20, but already waning by the time of it's inclusion here), the anon 'Danse de Cleves' (B-Br9085, c.1499-1501 - belonging to Margaret of Austria, tenuously connected to Anna) and 'Ainxi bon Youre' (Trent MS, c.1480 - no valid connection). Thorby's attempted justification - of Anna's 'provincial tastes' - is ill founded; (a) she was unmusical and (b) she is anyway depicted enjoying dancing with Queen Katherine (Howard), 1541 (LP, XV, p.493) - surely not to music 40-60 years old?

The performances themselves are mostly solid, and some of the interpretations are attractive, e.g. 'Adew le companye' (5). Heringman's lute playing is noteworthy throughout.
Yet other performances are rough, e.g. 'Blow thi horne' (6) which has decidedly unrefined intonation, though the spinet on this recording is worse still (e.g. 7). Also, the ornaments in 11-13 are unconvincing and unnecessary. The programme especially suffers from lack of lower voices (in the play, 20 ('Time to pas') was clearly a cappella, and the devotional works (4, 8, 22, 27) would have benefitted from more singers [here, they are 1 mezzo + viols]). The small forces here also ignore the clearly extravagant multi-instrument ensembles of the 'Revels Accounts' and other e.g.s like the 1515 Maying.

In short, this CD is academically iffy, but does present some of the music (sadly) in the best available performances at the moment. Two better recordings of Henrician court music are by Circa 1500 ('The Flower of All Ships') and Capilla Flamenca / The Flanders Recorder Quartet ('Bassano').