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Welcome to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani. While incarcerated at Fleet Prison, English composer William Cornysh wrote a long poem, A Treatise between Information and Truth. In it, he drew upon many musical metaphors to explain how and why he was falsely imprisoned, invoking minstrels, singers, trumpeters, harpists, and others. Cornysh’s music was witty, also, and his secular works were heard in the courts of Henry VII and his son Henry VIII. This hour, we’ll explore the life and music of William Cornysh II 500 years after his death in 1523. Plus, our featured release is The Cello According to Dall’Abaco. Cellist Elinor Frey leads sonatas and duets by an eighteenth-century virtuoso.

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Court Gesters: Tudor Minstrel Music
Sirinu (ensemble): Early and Ethnic Music and Song
Griffin 2016 / Naxos GRF-ED-4013
William Cornysh (II)
Tr. 26 Tudor Dance Tune Medley (4:45)

That was “Tudor Dance Tune Medley,” music by William Cornysh (II). Sirinu ensemble for Early and Ethnic Music and Song performed. We’ll hear more tunes by Cornysh this hour and get to know his connection with another William Cornysh, as well as Kings Henry VII and VIII.

Inmates at Fleet Prison on the east bank of the River Fleet in London were usually imprisoned for civil rather than criminal cases. By fifteenth-century standards, it was a relatively comfortable prison, and inmates were required to pay for their own room and board as well as pay for prison fees. William Cornysh, a composer, dramatist, and actor, claimed he was wrongfully imprisoned at the Fleet, writing a poem called [A Treatise bitwene Trouth and Enformacion] (A Treatise between Truth and Information). In the poem, Cornysh tells us that he worked for the “most famous” King Henry VII, and uses a number of musical metaphors to argue his case. In one verse, he writes (quote):

“A harpe well played on shewyth swete melody
A harper with his wrest maye tune the harpe wrong
Mys tunyng of an instrument shal hurt a true songe”

Just as we may unfairly misjudge a song or instrument because the instrument was mistuned, a man might be unfairly imprisoned through the malice of others. Here is an anonymous setting of “Blame not my lute” and “Whilles lyve [While life] or breth is in my brest” by William Cornysh.

Madame d'Amours: Music for the 6 Wives of Henry VIII
Musica Antiqua of London / dir. Philip Thorby / singer per track
Signum Classics 2005 / Naxos SIGCD044
Anon.
Tr. 10 Blame not my lute (3:53)
William Cornysh (II)
Tr. 2 Whilles lyve or breth is in my brest (7:26)

“Whilles lyve [While life] or breth is in my brest” by William Cornysh II. Before that, we heard sixteenth-century tune “Blame not my lute.” Philip Thorby led Musica Antiqua of London with mezzo-soprano Jennie Cassidy.

Cornysh’s imprisonment isn’t the only event in his life shrouded in mystery. William Cornysh II may have been the son of the William Cornysh I who also worked in the royal court of England, for Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII. And they’re both connected to the Eton Choir Book, an important collection of pre-Reformation English sacred music. It includes richly illuminated manuscripts with black and red ink and artwork at the opening of many works. As a physical object, it’s stunning. But even greater are its contents: pieces by over 24 composers written between 1500-1505 for use by Eton College. Next up, a sacred work by someone named Cornysh from the Eton Choir Book: “Ave Maria mater Dei.”

William Cornysh: Latin Church Music
The Cardinall's Musick / Andrew Carwood, cond.
Universal Classics 2015 / Naxos 00743625016420
William Cornysh (II)
Tr. 2 Ave Maria mater Dei (2:46)

“Ave Maria mater Dei” from the Eton Choir Book by William Cornysh—either Cornysh the first or the second. Andrew Carwood led The Cardinall’s Musick.

Whether or not the younger Cornysh was involved in compositions in the Eton Choirbook, he was associated with religious music and education as Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal. Cornysh’s predecessor in that position was William Newark. We’ll hear “Catholicon b” by Cornysh, but first here is “The farther I go, the more behind” by William Newark.

The Passion of Reason: Five Centuries of 'Scientific' Music
Sour Cream / (recorder trio) - Hans Bruggen, Kees Beoke, Walter van Hauwe / Isabel Alvarez, soprano
Glossa 2013 / Naxos GCDP31102
William Newark
CD 2, Tr. 5 The farther I go, the more behind (3:10)
William Cornysh (II)
CD 1, Tr. 9 Catholicon b (2:02)

Sour Cream recorder trio performed sixteenth-century tunes: “The farther I go, the more behind” by William Newark and “Catholicon b” by William Corrnysh.

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Early music can mean a lot of things. What does it mean to you? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org, where you’ll also find playlists and an archive of past shows.

You’re listening to Harmonia . . . I’m Angela Mariani.

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The Passion of Reason: Five Centuries of 'Scientific' Music
Sour Cream / (recorder trio) - Hans Bruggen, Kees Beoke, Walter van Hauwe / Isabel Alvarez, soprano
Glossa 2013 / Naxos GCDP31102
William Cornysh (II)
Excerpt of Tr. 8 Catholicon a (1:55)

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Welcome back. We’re exploring the life and music of English composer William Cornysh this hour on Harmonia.

For much of his professional career, Cornysh worked as a top entertainer—playwright, musician, actor, and more—for Henry VII and Henry VIII. The younger Henry was a composer and music-lover himself, and his collection included crumhorns, cornetti, flutes, recorders, viols, and more. We’ll hear two pieces by King Henry VIII: “Pastyme with good companye” and “En vray amoure.”

I Fagiolini: Tudor Music from Hampton Court Palace
I Fagiolini (choir) / Forbury Consort / Steven Player, lute
Griffin Records 2020 / Naxos GRF-ED-4087
Henry VIII (King of England)
Tr. 1 Pastyme with good companye (1:32)
Tr. 18 En vray amoure (1:46)

“Pastyme with good companye” and “En vray amoure,” music by Henry VIII. Lutenist Stephen Player performed with I Fagiolini and the Forbury Consort.

Cornysh claimed he was imprisoned at the Fleet due to false information. Legend has it that he was incarcerated for making fun of Sir William Empson, who was Speaker of the House of Commons and a minister to Henry VII. Empson was especially unpopular since he was part of the unfair taxation system. Whether or not the satire occurred, Cornysh was surely a witty character. Poet Alexander Barclay wrote about Cornysh and his colleagues that they were, [quote] “Warblying their tunes at pleasour and at will, Though some be busy that therin have no skill.” Let’s hear courtly entertainment music by Cornysh: “Blow thy horn, hunter” and “Hoyda, jolly rutterkin.”

Court Gesters: Tudor Minstrel Music
Sirinu (ensemble): Early and Ethnic Music and Song
Griffin 2016 / Naxos GRF-ED-4013
William Cornysh (II)
Tr. 23 Blow thy horn, hunter (2:13)
Tr. 18 Hoyda, jolly rutterkin (4:19)

“Blow THY horn, hunter” and “Hoyda, jolly rutterkin,” songs of William Cornysh II performed by Sirinu ensemble for Early and Ethnic Music and Song.

We move from England to Italy now for our featured release, “The Cello According to Dall’Abaco,” featuring cellists Elinor Frey and Catherine Jones. Giuseppe Clemente Dall’Abaco was among a generation of virtuoso composer-cellists who placed the cello center-stage as a solo instrument in the 1730s and 40s. His duets were especially popular, rivaling the long-established tradition of viola da gamba duos. We’ll hear two movements from Dall’Abaco’s Cello duet in F Major.

The Cello According to Dall'Abaco
Elinor Frey, cello / Catherine Jones, cello
Passacaille 2022 / Naxos 5425004841223
Giuseppe Clemente Dall’Abaco
Tr. 5 Cello Duet in F Major, II. Allegro (4:00)
Tr. 6 Cello Duet in F Major, III. Moderato assai grazioso (5:49)

We heard the two final movements of Giuseppe Clemente Dall’Abaco’s Cello Duet in F Major, “Allegro” and “Moderato assai grazioso.” Elinor Frey and Catherine Jones performed on cellos from Elinor Frey’s 2022 release, The Cello According to Dall’Abaco.

Dall’Abaco shows the breadth of the cello and his own virtuosity in his sonatas as well. In these, both the solo cellist as well as the accompanying cellist can shine—the soloist playing challenging double stops while the accompanying cellist sometimes departs from the rest of the continuo, adding a tenor voice. We’ll hear the middle movement of Dall’Abaco’s Cello Sonata in E-Flat Major, “Pastorale siciliana.”

The Cello According to Dall'Abaco
Elinor Frey, cello / Catherine Jones, cello; Michele Pasotti, theorbo; Federica Bianchi, harpsichord
Passacaille 2022 / Naxos 5425004841223
Joseph-Marie Clément Dall’Abaco
Tr. 2 Cello Sonata in E-Flat Major, II. Pastorale siciliana (5:32)

“Pastorale siciliana” from Dall’Abaco’s Cello Sonata in E-Flat Major. The solo cellist is Elinor Frey; with Catherine Jones, also on cello; Michele Pasotti, theorbo, and Federica Bianchi, harpsichord.

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Harmonia is a production of WFIU and part of the educational mission of Indiana University.
Support comes from Early Music America: a national organization that advocates and supports the historical performance of music of the past, the community of artists who create it, and the listeners whose lives are enriched by it. On the web at EarlyMusicAmerica-dot-org.

Additional resources come from the William and Gayle Cook Music Library at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

We welcome your thoughts about any part of this program, or about early music in general. Contact us at harmonia early music dot org. You can follow us on Facebook by searching for Harmonia Early Music.

The writer for this edition of Harmonia was Sarah Schilling.

Thanks to our studio engineer Michael Paskash, and our production team: LuAnn Johnson, Aaron Cain, and John Bailey. I’m Angela Mariani, inviting you to join us again for the next edition of Harmonia.

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