ALLIS (O

ession of the monasteries-Date of his birth unknown-Favourite of King Henry VIII. and Queen Elizabeth-State of difficulty and danger in intervening reigns-Chaoti

e destruction of the monasteries by King Henry VIII. in 1540, and what was left of it was destroyed by fire during the sacking of the cathedrals by the Puritans in

work of centuries, there is, practically, little or no trace left. What we do know of the works of those composers who lived before and during the early Reformation period, shews that ecclesiastical mu

ould have perished with the rest, since all of his early music (and some

not only evident that he must have been born early in the century, but that his genius was decidedly precocious. Some authorities give the date as about 1529; Grove's Dictionary, on the other hand, as supposedly in the second decade of the century: this seems more probable,

thirty years after its suppression, suggests that the call of his early training and associations was greater than he could resist, for

se asserting severance from Rome, was the substitution of English in place of Latin in their administration, and on no point

in the Church during four reigns, in which such diverging views were inculcated and, outwardly at least, demanded of acceptance. Thus Henry VIII., who broke the Roman connection, but generally upheld its doctrines; Edward VI., who repudiated them; Mary, who n

n Elizabeth, they were, both, skilled musicians and perfectly capable to appreciate the genius of Tallis

bowing to the inevitable for the time being, and, knowing the precarious state of the health of the young Prince, foresaw th

fied to the fullest extent, and only the fact of

sted on at the moment of King Henry's rebellion against Papal supremacy. It is, however, only natural to assume that all reference to that supremacy would be e

lic in principle, were willing to accept such changes as were not inconsistent with their faith, and others who

ng extended his sympathy and help

he had not time to achieve what she had at heart, and her death put an end for ever to the hopes of the extreme Catholic party. However much had been ca

r. Myles B. Foster in his interesting book, "Anthems and Anthem Composers"[14]: "Can we not picture the puzzled state of these poor composers, never

r the two factions to remain within its boundaries. So far as the extremists on either side are concerned, the idea was doomed to failure, but while she lived she pursued the policy with characteristic pertinacity, and unenviable was the fate of the too-reforming Bishop who encou

a priceless possession of the English Church. On the greatness of Tallis as a composer it is needless to insist, for it has been universally acknowledged. His contrapuntal skill was amazing, his fertility and originality equally so, and everything he wrote bears the impress of a nobility of mind difficult of descriptio

een quite indifferent, for, to all

ve other of the early English musicians to deal with, but none, I think, of such unique interest, as he was the fir

IAM

izabeth's protection-Organist of Lincoln Cathedral-Member of the Chapel Royal-Granted sole privilege of publishing mu

that he was born late in the first half of the sixteenth century, and thus at the time of the highest development of the ancient English ecclesiastical school of mu

behests of any monarch, and, strange to say, he does not seem to have suffered for his constancy mate

een cited as a proof, not only of the unstable position in the C

abeth held to her policy of trusting to the influence of time to gradually moderate opposing v

nted organist of Lincoln Cathedral in 1563, and in 1569 became a member of the Chapel Royal. In 1575 he published, in conjunction with Tallis, a collection of motets, which was dedicated to the Queen. It may be noted that it was printed by one Vautrollier, although the two composers had recently acquired the right of exclusively printing music for twenty-one years. It

his "Liber secundus

eth's regard for him. In fact, it was from a pecuniary point of view, somewhat embarrassing to him, as it must be admitted that the great Queen was exacting of service, and somewhat parsimonious in the paying for it. The many references to hi

his contained music for the complete ecclesiastical year of

although written in the severe style of canon form, is at once beautiful and touching in its extraordinary ex

isplayed to its fullest extent

ionary) to be the greatest in the history of Mass music, and Byrd's Mass in fiv

astly declined to abate by jot or tittle his allegiance to the Catholic Church in its integrity, and it is an extraordinary proof of the attraction of his forceful character that, notwithstanding this fac

t continued for some years, and would seem to have ended in a form of compromise. It is not without interest that the plaintiff in the case was an ancestress of no less a personage than the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. However, Byrd remai

DO GI

ming into existence-Protest by Byrd-Contrast of the two composers-The age one in which freedom of thought springing up in all directions-Gibbons

tudy, not only on account of his genius, but for the fact that he became the most distinguished living

he ever accepted aid to the rites of the Church, were invading the sacred precincts. Now, there are always men who are constitutionally averse to change, and of these was the great, but not too amiable, Mr. William Byrd. We can, therefore, quite appreciate his f

this time all musical instruments, with the exception of the organ, had been associated with dancing and the outdoor amusements of the common people, and since many of these were of a kind far removed from religious exercise, it is only rational to suppose that such a man as Byrd would view with repugnance their introduction into the Churc

at long list of composers who have died young and whose premature death has robbed the world of who can tell

y loosed or broken, and it is only natural that a young and greatly gifted man like Orlando Gibbons w

of two of the greatest geniuses the world has possessed, William Shakespeare and Francis Bac

riking importance to the composer, but, above all, the translation of the Bible in

athed to the English Church. It includes such glorious examples as those entitled "Hosanna," "O clap your hands" and "This

s not only emphasises the scope of his genius, but marks a veritable epoch in the history of instrumental music. So far did his originality carry him, that som

Y PU

s power of invention-A pioneer-His harmony-His precocity-Handel-An irrepressible conjecture-A comparison-Purcell enters the Chapel Royal-Becomes

to the last and greatest of

ad the extraordinary power that enabled him to seize on what was best in either and blend them in a style that, had there been successors of sufficient genius and independence of th

asserted that supremacy in the country they have held ever since, u

l has appeared. Many t

te seems to have been peculiarly conspicuous among musicians and poets. To cite only a few: Purcel

th in extent and significance. He advanced the art of music in every direction, to such a d

ect to it. The crude efforts of his predecessors became in his hands a tremendous artistic force, and when he died the way had been paved for Handel and other of his illustrious successors. The same originality is displayed in his harmonies. He cast off all the shackles of convention and indulged in progressions and discords that would, doubtl

eming wilfulness on occasion. Yet many were lovely and full of intense feeling,

ory of an art that has produced so many ext

ll a chorister boy, and his earliest essay

an and orchestra, he anticipated Handelian effects is undoubted, and t

is at least not without interest to think that, even so tremendous a genius as Handel made little ad

en years of age w

would have failed to reach the age at which the former died. The acting and re-acting of the genius of each on

layed more kindness than is usually attributed

uld have been no fitting opponent to the other, frail in physique and already a prey to the terrible disease that has cut off, p

aking part in their performance. At the age of eighteen[19] he became organist of Westminster Abbey, by the voluntary act of Dr. John Blow, who relinquished the post in favour of his illustrious pupil. This fact is immensely s

dismissed. This seems to me to be without the least justification, seeing that he was re-appointed after Purcell's death. At this early age,

is shewn by his music to "Dido and ?neas," which was not only masterly, but as much in advance of anything that had preceded it,

ied to it, there is not the slightest doubt that the genius was there

l occasions. These do not count among his best works. He was a voluminous writer of instrumental music, and his sonatas are in advance of any previously written. He wrote, practically for

t of his works, was the magnificent "Te

relinquished in favour of Handel's Dettingen Te Deum. Purcell died when his genius was at the highest point of

his age. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Ov

s, superi, tanto

estris addit

is Purcellum t

secli, delici

sisse, modo cu

ana suos re

, dum vicina o

numeris turba

TNO

ovello

ning News, November 24, 1911, the following words

rinciple. It was officially Protestant and disliked the name. Ever since the Reformation the reformed churches had been in a state of uncertainty, like a Dotheboys Hall after it had expelled its Squeers, full

is the end of a

in touching language, that he "has gone to that Bl

ied of co

is point, but it may be taken for granted tha