A Short History of English Music

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[Illustration: HENRY PURCELL.

Frontispiece.]

A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLISH MUSIC

BY ERNEST FORD F.R.A.M

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK M^cBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY 1912

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PREFACE

This book is not, in any sense, technical.

It is an attempt to give a simple and rational, though in a volume of this size, necessarily incomplete, account of events that have led to the complex state of music existing in England at the present time.

Should it offer nothing to the musician or historian, I hope it will be found of interest to the general reader.

The desire to make each chapter as complete, on the subject with which it deals, as space would permit, has necessitated a certain amount of repetition, but I trust that the object will condone the fault.

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. MUSIC BEFORE AND DURING THE REFORMATION 1

II. MUSIC BEFORE AND DURING THE REFORMATION--(continued) 20

III. EARLY ENGLISH COMPOSERS 47

IV. THE DECLINE OF ENGLISH MUSIC 67

V. MUSICAL EDUCATION IN ENGLAND 93

VI. PROGRESS OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC 125

VII. ORATORIO IN ENGLAND 150

VIII. OPERA IN ENGLAND 176

IX. DISTINGUISHED MUSICIANS IN ENGLAND DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 201

X. GENERAL SURVEY 244

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

HENRY PURCELL Frontispiece

PAGE QUEEN ELIZABETH 32

CALVIN 76

G. F. HANDEL, BY HUDSON 154

SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN 228

SIR EDWARD ELGAR 246

SHORT HISTORY OF MUSIC IN ENGLAND

CHAPTER I

MUSIC BEFORE AND DURING THE REFORMATION

England at one time musical and "merrie"--England before the Reformation--Out-door life--Natural dramatic instincts--Isolation of country districts in early days--Performances of itinerant minstrels--Ban of the Church--Gradual improvement--Effect of the wars of the Roses--Early perfection of sacred music--Difficult times after repudiation of Rome by Henry VIII.--His policy and that of Queen Elizabeth--Edward VI. and his sisters--Popular anger against the monks--Dissolution of monasteries natural result amongst uneducated people--Tallis entrusted to write music for reformed services--Orlando Gibbons and Henry Purcell--Early secular music--Old-time music occasionally traceable now in country districts--Ancient instruments--Effect on English music by those returning from the Crusades--Effect on criminal population--The status of the musical composer compared with that of the "musician"--Conclusion.

England was musical--once upon a time.[1]

At least, if it be not too great a strain on our credulity, we must believe so.

England was "merrie"[2]--once upon a time. At least, we read so.