Amazon was quick to deliver the CD - it arrived this morning, and I have had a quick listen to it. It is enchanting!
The album is titled 'Henry VIII and his Six Wives' (after the movie), with Music aranged and composed by David Munrow, and performed by the Early Music Consort of London (with participation and assistance by Christopher Hogwood).
Many of the pieces are from original sources; there is music by William Byrd, John Dowland, Thomas Ford, annonymous renaissance folk music and of course some pieces written by Henry VIII himself (eg. Pastime with Good Company). There is even a sad adagio style piece, 'O Death Rock Me Asleep', allegedly written by Ann Boleyn when she was inprisoned in the Tower of London, waiting to be executed. A lot of the pieces are adaptations from authentic melodies but orchestrated more lavishly than the originals, albeit on authentic instruments. Then there is quite a few pieces, very entertaining pieces written by David Munrow for the film, in the renaissance style, on period instruments.
I would recomend this CD to anyone with a taste for period music, or with an interest in and feel for this period of English history. Of course it is not as profound and deep as the music to emerge in the following centuries, but it is good fun and entertaining. Munrow's compositions evoke, for me, the feeling of how I imagine Tudor England to have been, eventhough this is probably a bit of a romanticised image!
[This message has been edited by Steppenwolf (edited February 28, 2004).]
The album is titled 'Henry VIII and his Six Wives' (after the movie), with Music aranged and composed by David Munrow, and performed by the Early Music Consort of London (with participation and assistance by Christopher Hogwood).
Many of the pieces are from original sources; there is music by William Byrd, John Dowland, Thomas Ford, annonymous renaissance folk music and of course some pieces written by Henry VIII himself (eg. Pastime with Good Company). There is even a sad adagio style piece, 'O Death Rock Me Asleep', allegedly written by Ann Boleyn when she was inprisoned in the Tower of London, waiting to be executed. A lot of the pieces are adaptations from authentic melodies but orchestrated more lavishly than the originals, albeit on authentic instruments. Then there is quite a few pieces, very entertaining pieces written by David Munrow for the film, in the renaissance style, on period instruments.
I would recomend this CD to anyone with a taste for period music, or with an interest in and feel for this period of English history. Of course it is not as profound and deep as the music to emerge in the following centuries, but it is good fun and entertaining. Munrow's compositions evoke, for me, the feeling of how I imagine Tudor England to have been, eventhough this is probably a bit of a romanticised image!
[This message has been edited by Steppenwolf (edited February 28, 2004).]
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