Music of england

Music of england

Ancient music of England ... What do we know about her? Well, at least a few composer names and a dozen of their creations. We supplement this knowledge with five interesting facts.

Royal song

The famous English king Henry VIII (nicknamed "Bluebeard") was a passionate admirer of not only the fair sex, but also musical art. In addition to collecting musical instruments, his majesty was fond of composer creativity. Few people know, but many historians attribute the authorship of the famous song "Green Sleeves" to him. It is believed that the voluptuous king dedicated this song to his second wife - Anne Boleyn, who, following the fashion of her time, wore a dress with long sleeves in green. She did not immediately give in to Henry, which he reflected in the words of the song. According to another version, this song was written a little later, during the reign of Elizabeth I and it is not about the royal at all. In medieval England, green sleeves were an indispensable attribute of the courtesans' clothing. The version is interesting, but I want to believe in a beautiful royal history. True, her finale is sad: the king accused Anna of treason and sentenced him to death by beheading.

Three large T

This is the name given to the three talented English composers of the XVI century - K. Tay, T. Tallis and J. Taverner.

C. Tai was a music teacher at Prince Edward, son of King Henry XVIII. The king was very supportive of the composer, and even called him "the doctor of musical art" and "the respected master of musical harmony."

T. Tallis was also the “favorite” of the royal court, although already under Elizabeth I. The Queen even issued him an “exclusive” (that’s what she was called) license to sell notes and musical paper. Until T. Tallis, no one in England had ever received this privilege.

But J. Taverner profession saved his life. In 1528, he was accused of supporting the Lutherans, and they were ready to endure the punishment, but he was acquitted due to the fact that he was ... "just a musician."

Royal Blood Truver

Troubadours, truvery, minstrels ... In other words, gifted poets and musicians. They are unique symbols of medieval Europe, because without them it is simply impossible to imagine this great era of knights.

Troubadours or truvers in those days were called songwriters. And it doesn’t matter whether they were wandering beggars who earned their living, or were gallant knights who delighted the ears of a beautiful lady.

Truwer is considered the legendary king Richard the Lionheart. Surprisingly, this strong man under two meters tall, who won the reputation of the most valiant warrior in the world, was very fond of music and poetry. With great pleasure he took part in the hymns accompanying church services, led the choir and composed poetry. Two of his poems have come down to this day: the canzone and the holy evening.

Dancing queen

Queen Elizabeth I was endowed with outstanding musical abilities. Contemporaries describe her as a virtuoso female performer in the Verginale (a kind of harpsichord), although she herself carefully concealed it. But she was not ashamed of her love for dancing at all, and even at the age of 66, as political figures of that era recall, she danced smartly in front of the ambassadors for several evening galyards. Composers, trying to please the queen, composed dances especially for her, and even called them by her name. That is why the lion's share of the music of England of that era is dance.

Unusual posts

Of course, everyone has heard of the famous Royal Chapel, where the best musicians of the country were gathered. But few people know what positions the musicians existed there. And there were only two of them - "gentlemen" and "children." As you may have guessed, adult musicians were called gentlemen. The conditions granted to gentlemen, today's language could be called "like cheese in butter." In addition to the high salary, at times exceeding the earnings of ordinary musicians, all the gentlemen had more than 100 days off a year. In addition, for their performances, they could receive simply unimaginable for that time fees. For example, one of the royal Verginalists, John Bull, for his game at a banquet, once received a reward of slightly less than the annual salary of a gentleman. However, getting into the royal chapel was not easy. This required, at a minimum, a decent condition and a very expensive suit.