England's Golden Age

Donald Macleod introduces six composers who flourished under the
rule of Elizabeth I.


The composers of 16th century England flourished under the rule
of Elizabeth I, rapidly developing a diverse musical culture
unparalleled anywhere on the continent, a truly Golden Age for
English music. In this week of programmes Donald Macleod explores
six composers who were key to this ascent - Thomas Morley, John
Bull, Peter Philips, Thomas Weelkes, Orlando Gibbons and Thomas
Tomkins. These composers were all active at around the same time
as the “Father of British Musick” William Byrd and John Dowland,
and all either studied or worked with Byrd, but they don’t often
receive the same attention as those more famous names.


Music featured: Morley: It was a Lover and his lass / Hard by a
Crystal Fountain / Now is the month of maying; Sing we and chant
it; On a fair morning / Cruel, Wilt Thou Persever / Magnificat
and Nunc Dimitis from First Service /


Tomkins: Fantasia a 6 no. 18 / Too Much I Once Lamented (for
Byrd) / Oft did I marle (c.1622) / Know You Not / Cloris When As
I Woo / O Let Me Live for True Love / Be Strong and of good
courage / Offertory / Thou Art My King / Pavan “for these
distracted times” / The Lady Folliot’s Galliard / Burial
Sentences


Bull: Chromatic Pavan and Galliard MB 87a/b / Pavan No 2 (from
Parthenia) / Almighty God, Which by the leading of a Star /
Fantasia on a fugue of Sweelinck / Coranto – Alarm / Pavan &
Galliard “St Thomas Wake”


Philips: Hodie beata Virgo Maria; Surgens Jesus; Ave Verum Corpus
/ Pavan & Galliard (arr. Philips based on Morley’s originals)
/ Lasso, non e morir / Amarilli (after G. Caccini) / Gaude Maria
virgo / Salve Regina / Pavan & Galliard in memory of Lord
Paget / Pavan and Galliard Dolorosa


Gibbons: Prelude in D minor / See, See the World is Incarnate /
The Silver Swan (c.1611) / Fantasia No 5 in G minor / O Clap your
hands / Lord Salisbury’s Pavan and Galliard from Parthenia / Nay
Let me weep (Part 1) / O Lord in thy Wrath, Rebuke me Not


Weelkes: As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending / O Lord, Grand
the King a Long Life / O Care Thou Wilt Dispatch Me (Parts 1 and
2) / Come, Sirrah Jack, ho! / Thule, the period of cosmology –
The Andalusian merchant / Death hath deprived me of my dearest
friend


Alfonso Ferrabosco the Elder: Questi ch'indizio fan del mio
tormento


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Sam Phillips for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for England’s Golden Age
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005nly


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z