Twelve Good Musicians: From John Bull to Henry Purcell
()
Read more from Frederick Bridge
Twelve Good Musicians: From John Bull to Henry Purcell Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShakespearean Music in the Plays and Early Operas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Twelve Good Musicians
Related ebooks
The Italian Cantata in Vienna: Entertainment in the Age of Absolutism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Standard Cantatas Their Stories, Their Music, and Their Composers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBach in Berlin: Nation and Culture in Mendelssohn's Revival of the "St. Matthew Passion" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn the Execution of Music, and Principally of Ancient Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClassic FM Handy Guides: The Orchestra Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Classical Music Map of Britain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Symphony: From Mannheim to Mahler Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEighteenth Century Scandinavian Composers, Vol. X Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMusic and Urban Life in Baroque Germany Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Accompaniment from a Thorough-Bass: As Practiced in the XVII and XVIII Centuries, Volume I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Great German Composers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreat Italian and French Composers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVoice and Verse - A Study in English Song Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Great Musicians: Rossini and His School Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHandel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Style of Palestrina and the Dissonance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mystical Love in the German Baroque: Theology, Poetry, Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Short History of English Music Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Madrigal to Opera: Monteverdi's Staging of the Self Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Russian Opera Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChopin and Other Musical Essays Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreat German Composers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEighteenth Century Russian Composers, Vol. IX Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician — Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPractical Organ-Building Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Music of Alban Berg Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A History of the Oratorio: Vol. 2: the Oratorio in the Baroque Era: Protestant Germany and England Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Social and Religious Designs of J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Reviews for Twelve Good Musicians
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Twelve Good Musicians - Frederick Bridge
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Twelve Good Musicians, by Frederick Bridge
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Twelve Good Musicians
From John Bull to Henry Purcell
Author: Frederick Bridge
Release Date: June 7, 2012 [EBook #39935]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWELVE GOOD MUSICIANS ***
Produced by Al Haines
DR. JOHN BULL.
From the painting in the Music School,
University of Oxford.
TWELVE GOOD MUSICIANS
From JOHN BULL to HENRY PURCELL
BY
SIR FREDERICK BRIDGE
C.V.O., M.A., Mus.D.
King Edward Professor of Music in the University of London,
Gresham Professor, Emeritus-Organist of Westminster Abbey
LONDON:
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO. LTD.
NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.
1920
INTRODUCTORY
In the Preface of his admirable contribution to the Oxford History of Music (Vol. III.) the late Sir Hubert Parry writes: The seventeenth century is musically almost a blank, even to those who take more than the average interest in the Art; and barely a score of composers' names during the whole time suggest anything more than a mere reputation to modern ears.
Of course the distinguished author is speaking of the musical world in general, not of our own country's music only. I am inclined to think it is a little severe on us. I have always found that great interest is taken in the 17th century music and musicians of England.
Surely the century which began with the great Madrigal school at its highest point, which saw the Masque at its best in Milton's Comus, which witnessed the supersession of the viol by the violin, and which, at the close, had to its credit the complete works of our greatest composer, Henry Purcell, ought not to be in any sense almost a blank,
to English students at least.
But if our musical students will only read Volume III of the Oxford History—so full of the author's admirable criticisms and so amply illustrated by selections from the great composers of the period—they will certainly form a high opinion of what was accomplished then, and, having finished the volume, their minds will assuredly not be a blank.
To help to a useful view of what was done in our own country in the 17th century I took that period for my University Course in this session 1919-1920, and for my subject Twelve Good Musicians from John Bull to Henry Purcell. The substance of these lectures is given in the following chapters.
For many biographical details and other matter I have availed myself of the valuable articles in Grove's Dictionary and in the Dictionary of National Biography, which I beg to acknowledge.
To Mr Barclay Squire I am deeply indebted for much information. His work in Musical History is most valuable, and deserves the best thanks of all students.
To my brother, Professor J. C. Bridge, M.A., Mus.D., of Chester, and to Mr Jeffrey Pulver and Dr Borland I am also grateful for many interesting facts contained in these pages.
J. FREDERICK BRIDGE.
The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey, October, 1920.
CONTENTS
CHAP.
I. DR JOHN BULL, 1563 (?)—1628
II. WILLIAM BYRD, 1542-3—1623
III. THOMAS MORLEY, 1557—1603
IV. THOMAS WEELKES, 1575 (?)—1623
V. ORLANDO GIBBONS, 1583—1625
VI. RICHARD DEERING, 1580 (?)—1630
VII. JOHN MILTON, 1553—1646-7
VIII. HENRY LAWES, 1595—1662
IX. MATTHEW LOCKE, 1630 (?)—1677
X. PELHAM HUMFREY, 1647—1674
XI. DR JOHN BLOW, 1648—1708
XII. HENRY PURCELL, 1658—1695
Twelve Good Musicians
1. DR. JOHN BULL.
1563 (?)—1628.
There is, I venture to think, a fitness in the choice of the first musician of the Twelve to be considered. John Bull is a name familiar to Englishmen, though I do not know that the musician bearing that name has anything to do with the historical and political personage whose jovial portrait is so well known to us. But Dr. John Bull, was the first to hold anything like a University Professorship in London—or indeed in England. It is true Gresham College has not developed into a University, but its founder, Sir Thomas Gresham, certainly seems to have had such an end in view, and John Bull was the first Gresham Music Lecturer. As his successor at Gresham College, and as I have the honour to be the first Musical Professor in the University of London, I think there is a justification for beginning this course in the University with a consideration of the old Gresham Professor. I must premise that in selecting twelve good men I have by no means exhausted the number of such men available, but I hope to have chosen good representatives of the various Schools and movements in the musical world of England in the 17th century. And, although necessarily concentrating my attention on the selected twelve, yet, of course, undoubtedly I shall make many references to their fellow-musicians both in this country and abroad. But it is to our own men and our own music in the 17th century that I shall direct my chief attention.
To begin then with the first of my twelve good musicians—the first Gresham Professor of Music, Dr. John Bull. Born about 1563 of a Somersetshire family, he became one of the Children of the Chapel Royal (as will be seen, always a great nursery of young English Musicians), his master being Blytheman who, we are told, spared neither time nor labour to advance his natural gifts.
Organist of Hereford Cathedral for a time, we find him in 1585 a member of the Chapel Royal Choir—not then organist, a post to which he attained a few years later, succeeding his old master, Blytheman. He was evidently determined to get on in his profession, for, besides all these posts and varied activities, he found time in 1586 to take the degree of Bachelor of Music at Oxford (it being stated he had practised the faculty of music for 14 years
), following this up with a Doctor's degree—this time at Cambridge.
He appears to have met with a somewhat serious adventure at Tewkesbury, in 1592, being robbed in those parts.
A Mr. W. Chelps, of Tewkesbury showed him rare kindness
and was rewarded, no doubt by Bull's influence, with the post of a Gentleman Extraordinary in the Chapel Royal.
In 1592 our indefatigable musician took another degree, that of Doctor of Music at Oxford, the delay in taking it having been caused, according to a contemporary writer, by his having met with rigid puritans there, that could not endure Church Music.
The next important step in his varied career was his appointment as first Gresham Professor of Music. His lectures should have been given in Latin, but he was allowed to deliver them in English. Unfortunately there is no copy of his lectures to be found, but Mr. Barclay Squire in an article on Bull in the Dictionary of National Biography, gives the following title-page of the first lecture which is all that survives of it:
"The oration of Master John Bull, Doctor of Music and one of the Gentlemen of his Majestie's Royal Chapel, as he pronounced the same before divers worshipful persons the Aldermen and Commoners of the Citie of London, with a great multitude of other people the 6th day of October 1597, in the new erected College of Sir Thomas Gresham, Knight, deceased: made in the Commemoration of the said worthy Founder, and the excellent Science of Musicke. (Imprinted at London by Thomas Este)."
Although a great misfortune that the Lecture itself is not to be found; it is interesting to learn the subject of the oration from the title-page.
It would, however, have been more interesting to read the lecture itself, if only to see what Bull said about Sir Thomas Gresham and to know his views upon music in general. Of one thing we may be certain: he must have given his audience a real treat by his Clavier performance; for doubtless he obeyed the directions given in the Founder's will—directions which are observed to this day. It was wise on the part of Gresham to insist that the lectures should be adequately illustrated: an audience gains much from hearing the examples which have been commented upon by the lecturer. The directions are:
The solemn music lectures twice every week, in manner following, viz: the theoretique part for one half hour or thereabouts, and the practique by concert of voice or instruments for the rest of the hour.
Bull has been credited with the composition of our National Anthem. The matter has been investigated by many, but, so far, there seems no proof of it. We know, however, that he was honoured by King James I, as his name was amongst those to whom were given gold chains, plates, or medals.
He appears to have been admitted into the freedom of the Merchant Taylors' Company in 1606, and in 1607 he played before the King and Prince Henry when they dined at Merchant Taylors' Hall. According to Stowe, John Bull, Doctor of Music, one of the Organists of His Majestie's Chapel Royal and free of the Merchant Taylors', being in a citizen's goune, cappe and hood, played most excellent melodie upon a small payre of Organs placed there for that purpose only.
The Musical arrangements for this great City Company's feast were on a very elaborate scale. Besides Bull's performance (which was apparently for the King only, who dined alone in a separate chamber where Dr. Bull did play all dinner time
), the Singing Men and Children of the Royal Chapel sang melodious songs, and some of the best singers of the day sang songs by Coperario, from a ship which was suspended in the great Hall. Besides all this the Choir of St Paul's sang songs, the words of which were by Ben Jonson. The King must have had a pretty good programme of music to listen to, unless he spent the evening in his own room where he dined alone—with Dr Bull playing to pass the time.
The numerous singers in the great Hall seem to have been rather a trouble to the givers of the feast. Bull and Gyles, the master of the Children of the Chapel Royal, who performed in the King's chamber, were rewarded the next day by being admitted into the livery of