Musicians In Ordinary
The historical and cultural context of the music of the Renaissance at home, in court, in Shakespeare’s theatre and beyond.
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Episodes
A performance of John Milton’s masque Comus directed by Heather Davies http://heatherdavies.com with the original songs by Henry Lawes and dance music by his brother William played by Christopher Verrette and the MIO String Band.
Lutenist John Edwards plays Dump Philli from the Marsh Lutebook. Pieces called 'Dump' are often memorial pieces and are often built on ground basses of as few as two notes, as is this one.
Tracy Ryan reads 'With how sad steps, O Moon, Sonnet 31 from Sir Philip Sidney's Astrophel and Stella, in original pronunciation of the time of Shakespeare and Sidney.
Lutenist John Edwards plays Anthony Holborne's sombre pavan 'The Countiss of pembruth fineralle' as it is called in Jane Pickeringe's Lutebook, from which this highly decorated version is taken. The Countess of Pembroke is Lady Mary Sidney, whose father and brother died the same year.
Tracy Ryan reads part of a lament by Lady Mary Sidney, on the death of her brother Sir Philip Sidney, author of Astrophel and Stella and The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia in original pronunciation from the time of Sidney and Shakespeare.
Lutenist John Edwards plays Sir Phillip Sidneys Lamentacion from Matthew Holmes' Lute Book.
Tracy Ryan reads a description of the death of Phillip Sidney at Battle of Zutphen from Elizabethan historian John Stow's The Annals of England to 1603 in original pronunciation from the time of Sidney and Shakespeare.
Lutenist John Edwards plays John Dowland's The Battell Galyerd, also known as The King of Denmark's Galliard, in a version from Jane Pickeringe's Lute Book.
Tracy Ryan reads a description of the Battle of Zutphen from Elizabethan historian John Stow's The Annals of England to 1603 in original pronunciation from the time of Sidney and Shakespeare.
Lutenist John Edwards plays The Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Lisle his Galliard composed by John Dowland, based on Orlando di Lasso's Susanne un jour. Viscount Lisle is Robert Sidney, younger brother to Sir Philip and Mary Sidney, the Countess of Pembroke.
