SK Knowledge Base -

Musical Background In The Mid 17th Century – Part II

Author: Tony Barton

Orders of the day, Volume 37, Issue 1, 2005

This article first appeared in ‘True Relation’, the magazine of the Fairfax Battalia, and is reproduced here with the permission of the Editor and author.

My first article (“Orders”, October/November 2004) sketched the social background to music in the 17th century. In this one I shall make some practical suggestions for those who might want to play an instrument in re-enactments.

The Early Music revival of the last thirty years has made available a wide range of replica instruments, many of which, although curious, are not really suitable for the solo player. The perfect example is the crumhorn, of which many will have heard. The thing is only of use in a consort of three or more, which was its only original purpose, and it was pretty well extinct by 1640 anyway. The fact that you can buy one or make it from a kit does not make it a viable musical proposition. The same applies to the whole gamut of weird and wonderful reed instruments: shawms, rackets, curtals and their like - they belong in a proper wind band. It is also extremely unlikely that such things ever appeared in the average household.

So let's look at the instruments suitable for the amateur, which we know were in use in our period.

The Recorder

Good wooden ones are available reasonably. Get someone to train you to blow it properly. It has a good range, is light, portable and entirely in keeping. The best size is the Alto in G or F.

The Flute

Ideal for one who plays the fife, the flute being its larger and more musical sibling. The usual size was the Tenor in D (the same size as the modern folk instrument) or the smaller Alto in G. Good ones will cost Ł300-500. Expressive and cheerful, small and convenient to carry in a tubular leather case. Ideal for dance tunes with a fiddle or drum.

The Fiddle

The most popular instrument at the lower end of society and in many ways the most useful for the re-enactor. 17c fiddles were subtly different from modern ones, with gut strings and a lower angle to the fingerboard. There was also the box fiddle, with a rectangular box for a body instead of the familiar shape. There's no need to buy a replica, however - let's get people playing! If you studied it in youth, why not take it up again?

The Lute

An indoor instrument of the wealthy, the lute is not an ideal choice; delicate, expensive (Ł1500 up), and a lifelong study to play well. It was still popular in the upper classes, though past its apogee around 1600. It is very rewarding to play, and anyone who has studied classical guitar could manage the basics in a few weeks. It has its own form of music - tabulature - which shows which strings to stop and strike - which takes a short time to learn, but once grasped opens a vast store of music.

The Guitar

Easy to play, cheaper (Ł600) and more suitable around the campfire is the Renaissance guitar, a small thing with four strings rather than the modern six. Often called citterns in England, they were reasonably popular, although mostly associated with Italian comedians. The sound will carry in a courtyard and it's easy to strum to accompany singing or another instrument.

The Cittern

Similar in size and use, but strung with wire, which produces a loud jangling depending on whether played with fingers or a quill. Excellent for chords, poor for tunes because of the string intervals. They were very popular in middle class houses, and frequently appear in Dutch interiors. Prices vary - Ł600 upwards depending on quality, and you can buy a kit and make one yourself.

The Hurdy-Gurdy

Never apparently common in England, it was associated, at least in Europe, with blind beggars. It is a complex and expensive machine, a kind of wheel-powered fiddle, and many badly made ones have damnified their players. It needs real dedication and technique to play tolerably, and has the limitations of the bagpipe with some vices of its own - the gut strings are very sensitive to damp. The sound is undeniably seductive, but it is only for the dedicated enthusiast -prices go from Ł2000 up, and if offered cheap it may be faulty.

Singing

The best known collections for 17c amateurs were by Ravenscroft: 'Pammelia', 'Deuteromelia', and 'Melismata'. These were published in facsimile by Da Capo Edition, Amsterdam, 1971 and contain witty and sad songs for three or four voices - they are quite tricky to sing. There is a Ravenscroft website: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/ from which it may be possible to download facsimiles.

Instruments

There is no space here to detail all the makers of instruments. The Early Music Shop in Bradford is a famous supplier, and often has secondhand items, but buyer beware - consult a player before parting with coin. Impulse buys often lead to regrets.

Music

A surprising amount survives, both printed and in manuscript. To keep this brief, the best source for the amateur is the famous 'Dancing Master' by John Playford. This contains the popular tunes of the day, which also exist in other sources from earlier in the century. A facsimile is available from Amazon: look for ‘The English Dancing Master', John Playford 1651. The Complete Country Dance Tunes from Playford's ‘Dancing Master' J Barlow, Faber Music Ltd 1985 is a modern edition, containing all the tunes in the first and subsequent editions, in modern notation - essential stuff for anyone playing a melody instrument.

Recordings

Anyone wishing to hear the sounds of the period could try these CDs: The Masque of Oberon - Pickett, Musicians of the Globe. Phillips 446217-2 Full blown Court Masque music, all the instruments - splendid. For ye Violls - William Lawes. Virgin Veritas 0777 759 02129 Subtle string music from the chief contemporary composer, who died at the Siege of Chester. How the World Wags - City Waites. Helios CDH55013 Low and Lusty Songs - City Waites. Sound Alive music SAMHS/CDI202 Popular and lewd songs, many from Ravenscroft. There were Three Ravens - The Consort of Music. Virgin Classics VC91217-2 Ravensscroft songs, genteely performed. L'Orchestre de Louis XIII - Concert de Nations. Savall. AliaVox AV9824 Superb court music from France, played brilliantly, some of it very grand.

Finally here are some very popular tunes not in 1651 Playford. There are many variants of these. 17c musicians never played the same tune twice if they could help it. Transpose the key if necessary: