Notes and Editorial Reviews
'Musick, a science peculiarly productive of a pleasure that no state of life, publick or private, secular or sacred; no difference of age or season; no temper of mind or condition of health exempt from present anguish; nor, lastly, distinction of quality, renders either improper, untimely or unentertaining.' Samuel Pepys wrote this somewhat grandiose judgment near the end of his life. The magnificent library which he had collected over many years and later bequeathed to Magdalene College, Cambridge bears testimony to a thorough and catholic interest in music; it contains numerous printed collections of sixteenth and seventeenth century vocal and instrumental music, including a large number of broadsheet ballads, some music manuscripts going
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back to the fifteenth century, volumes of music theory and also several manuscript collections of songs arranged for bass voice and simple accompaniments for Pepy's own private use. Samuel Pepys' tastes in music in the 1660s might be described as conservative, even though he went to great lengths to keep abreast of the developments by the avant-garde. Above all, he shared the continuing fascination of his composer-contemporaries with the possibilities of setting poetry to music and the challenge of finding and equivalent to Italian recitative that would preserve the special angularity and pungency of the English language. At its best, it produced such songs as those by Pelham Humfrey and John Blow, and later by Henry Purcell. By performing this music in the context of Pepys' Diary, we can perhaps allow it to speak for itself and spare it the kind of musicological hindsight which so often has to provide a 'raison d'étre' for its re-creation. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
And art thou grieved by John Blow
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 4 Minutes 13 Secs.
Language: English
2.
Lucifer, caelestis olim by Giacomo Carissimi
Performer:
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; Italy
3.
Perque quando by Giovanni Battista Draghi
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Length: 2 Minutes 31 Secs.
Language: Italian
4.
Hero's Complaint by Nicholas Laniere
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Length: 9 Minutes 16 Secs.
Language: English
5.
I laid me down upon a pillow soft by Henry Lawes
Performer:
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs.
Language: English
6.
Inconstancy return'd by Henry Lawes
Performer:
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 1 Minutes 57 Secs.
Language: English
7.
Orpheus' Hymn "O King of heaven and hell" by Henry Lawes
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 3 Minutes 39 Secs.
Language: English
8.
Brawles by Matthew Locke
Performer:
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
David Watkin (Bass Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 3 Minutes 14 Secs.
9.
Beauty retire by Sir William Davenant
Performer:
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: England
Length: 1 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: English
10.
Will Chloris cast her sun-bright eye "Cloris yielding" by John Goodgroome
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Renaissance
Written: England
Length: 1 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: English
11.
Pavane in G minor by John Jenkins
Performer:
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 1 Minutes 51 Secs.
12.
Gavotte by Matthew Locke
Performer:
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
13.
Arise, ye subterranean winds by Pietro Reggio
Performer:
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
William Thorpe (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: London, England
Length: 3 Minutes 35 Secs.
Language: English
15.
The English Dancing Master: Newcastle by John Playford
Performer:
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ)
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1651; England
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Notes: This selection is part of a medley which also includes "The English Dancing Master: Hearts ease" and "St. Martin's, Grim King of the ghosts."
16.
The English Dancing Master: Hearts ease by John Playford
Performer:
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1651; England
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Notes: This selection is part of a medley which also includes "The English Dancing Master: Newcastle" and "St. Martin's, Grim King of the ghosts."
17.
St. Martin's, Grim King of the ghosts by John Playford
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Notes: This selection is part of a medley which also includes "The English Dancing Master: Newcastle" and "The English Dancing Master: Hearts ease."
18.
Lord! I have sinned by Pelham Humphrey
Performer:
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
William Thorpe (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 3 Minutes 18 Secs.
Language: English
19.
Down to the very centre of the earth by Cesare Morelli
Performer:
William Thorpe (Violin),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Celia Harper (Organ),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Richard Wistreich (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1682; England
Length: 4 Minutes 40 Secs.
Language: English
20.
Such moving sounds by Dr. Waldegrave
Performer:
Celia Harper (Organ),
Richard Wistreich (Bass),
Roderick Skeaping (Violin),
William Thorpe (Violin),
Robin Jeffrey (Guitar),
Robin Jeffrey (Theorbo),
David Watkin (Bass Violin),
Jane Compton (Violin)
Period: Baroque
Written: 17th Century; England
Length: 3 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: English
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