Eat, drink and be merry, for He has conquered Death!

The Rimsky-Korsakov household has been a veritable hive of activity since last week. Although the family has a cook, Nadezhda Nikolaeva, and her sixteen-year-old daughter, also Nadezhda, have been showing me how to prepare pashka and kulich in preparation for the Resurrection day feast. Pashka is a rich sweet cheese spread shaped into a triangular block, and decorated with the cyrillic letters XB for "Christos voskres"; Christ is Risen, in dried fruit, and the mixture contains crushed nuts, dried fruits, and a little essence of vanilla. The kulich is a nutty fruitcake, which we bake in a tall, cylindrical baking tin (Nadezhda refers to it as the "Priest's hat" tin!). Once it is baked, we drizzle it with white frosting, and Nadezhda Nikolaeva adds the lettering to it. Although, at sixteen years old, Nadezhda is perhaps a little old to be making easter eggs, for the benefit of their guest, the family show me how to boil silk scraps to colour eggs, explaining the importance of easter eggs in Russian culture; the more superstitious, and many of the older generation believe that the eggs possess magical powers to ward off goblins and demons, and often the peasant folk will bury an easter egg in the foundations of a new house to ensure prosperity. On the Thursday before the Great and Holy Friday, the family's priest, Father Bakhtin visits the family to bless the Kulich and very kindly spends some time explaining the ritual of the all-night vigil and the midnight mass to me. Saturday is a day of fasting (not an easy thing for somebody like me who loves her food!), with an afternoon nap in anticipation of the midnight mass. When we leave the family house the whole Rimsky-Korsakov tribe is in attendance. Mikhail and his wife with their baby, Sofia and her husband, Andrei, looking brisk and efficient in his military uniform, Vladimir and Nadezhda, Nadezhda's governess, Madame Moiseyeva, the cook, and two maids step into the darkened streets with us. It's a little unnerving passing the great houses with their darkened windows, and the church, as we enter, is pitchy dark. With this unlit candle in my hand, I really need the guiding hands of the family as the usher directs us. According to the symbology that I was taught, the darkened church is the representation of the world without hope, before Christ's redeeming work. The Orthodox church is very different from anything I have known elsewhere; Madame Rimskaya-Korsakova has lent me a headscarf, and warned me that we will spend most of the next six hours standing in segregation, for the duration of the midnight vigil. I have to remember to cross myself "backwards" if I am not to stand out! The moment is nothing less than magical! I hear distant church bells ringing for the first time in the silent darkness, then, as the bells of this church begin to sound, everyone lights their candles. Those who don't have a match, or a tinderbox, light from the candles of their friends and neighbours, and from the front of the church, the priests lead the chant, "O Come and Worship". I really feel a new hope, and a great thankfulness to God. Rather than an abc transcription, I am including a direct link to the PDF for the chant "Arise O God and judge the Earth.

From Russia with love

ROYAL MAIL
Stowmarket Telegraph Office

44 1449 613388 Paid

K. Briton
Onehouse,
Stowmarket,
Suffolk

18th April 1900

Boarded @ Repino in snowstorm. Train journey tedious. Company of OR refreshing. Introduced to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, gentleman, naval officer retired. Operas like train journey. Will send music by mail. OR is interested in ancient (early) music!
X:23 % number
T:Packington's Pound % title
C:Francis Cutting % composer O:http://members.home.nl/mark.erna/pdf_docs/packingtons_pound_anoniem_cutting.pdf % origin.
M:3/4 % meter
L:1/8 % length of shortest note
Q:180 % tempo
V:1 name="lute" sname="Lt" clef=treble
V:2 clef=treble merge K:C % key %============2============3=========4===========5=========6
[V:1]A3 B c2 | B6 | A3 B c2 | B4 cd | e3 f e2 |
[V:2][E6A,6] | ^G2 E2 E,2 | [E6A,6] | ^G2 E2 z2 | C6 |
%
%==============7===============8========9=========10
[V:1] d2 B2 G2 | A2 c2 [B2^G2] | [A6E6] | A^GAB c2 |
[V:2] G,4 z2 | [E4A,4] E,2 | [A,6] | A,6 |
%
%===============11========12===========13=======14=========15
[V:1] B6 | ABcd c2 | [B4E,4] z2 | efedec | d2 B2 G2 |
[V:2] ^G2 E2 E,2 | A,6 | G2 E2 cd | C6 | G,4 z2 |
%
%==================16========17================18========19
[V:1] AB c2 [B2^G2] | A6 | e2 g2 ^f2 | [e6E,6] |
[V:2] [E4A,4] E,2 | [E6A,6] | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | B4 B2 |
%
%====================20=======21================22================23
[V:1] e2 g2 ^f2 | [e6B6] | e2 g2 ^f2 | e2 g2 ^f2 |
[V:2] [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | E,6 | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] |
%
%====================24========25================26========27
[V:1] e2 g2 ^f2 | [e6E,6] | e^f g2 f2 | [e6E,6] |
[V:2] [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | B4 B2 | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | B4 B2 |
%
%====================28=======29================30================31
[V:1] e^f g2 f2 | [e6B6] | e^fge f2 | e^fge f2 |
[V:2] [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | E,6 | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | [B4E,4] [B2B,2] |
%
%====================32========33========34=========35========36
[V:1] e^f g2 a2 | [e6E,6] | e3 f e2 | d2 B2 G2 | c3 d c2 |
[V:2] [B4E,4] [B2B,2] | B4 B2 | C6 | G,4 z2 | A,6 |
%
%===============37========38=========39==============40=======41
[V:1] B6 | e3 f e2 | d2 B2 G2 | A2 c2 [B2^G2] | [A6E6] |
[V:2] ^G2 E2 E,2 | C6 | G,4 z2 | [E4A,4] E,2 | A,6 |
%
%============42=========43========44===========45========46
[V:1] edef e2 | d2 B2 G2 | cBcd c2 | B6 | edef e2 |
[V:2] C6 | G,4 z2 | A,6 | ^G2 E2 E,2 | C6 |
%
%=============47==============48=======49===================50
[V:1] d2 B2 G2 | AB c2 [B2^G2] | [A6E6] |[K:F] d3 e f2 |
[V:2] G,4 z2 | [E4A,4] E,2 | A,6 |[K:F] [A4D4] [A2D2] |
%
%==============51==============52==========53========54=========55
[V:1] e2 ^c2 A2 | d3 e f2 | e2 ^c2 A2 | a3 b a2 | g2 e2 c2 |
[V:2] A,6 | [A4D4] [A2D2] | A,6 | F4 F2 | C4 E2 |
%
%===================56========57=============58====59===========60
[V:1] d2 f2 [e2^c2] | [d6A6] :||: a2 c'2 =b2 | a6 | a2 c'2 =b2 |
[V:2] [A4D4] [A2A,2] | D2 D4 :||: A,4 E,2 | A,6 | A,4 E,2 |
%
%========61===========62==========63===========64=====65==
[V:1] a6 | a=b c'2 b2 | a=bc'a b2 | a=bc'd' b2 | a6 :||:
[V:2] A,6 | A,4 E,2 | A,4 E,2 | A,4 E,2 | A,6 :||:
%
%=============66=========67==============68============
[V:1] a3 =b a2 | g2 e2 c2 | d3 e f2 | e2 ^c2 A2 |
[V:2] F4 F2 | C4 E2 | [A4D4] [A2D2] | A,6 |
%
%==============69==========70==========71=============
[V:1] a3 =b c'2 | =b2 g2 e2 | z2 d2 ^c2 | [d6A6^F6] :|
[V:2] F3 z A2 | E2 z^F G2 | A4 [A2A,2]| D2 D4 :|

Dear Papa
I hope you have received my telegram from St.Petersburg.
If the streets of the city are drear with melting slush, the shops and theatres are warm and full of sparkle, and everyone is looking forward to the Pascha feast (Easter) with anticipation.
Signor Ottorino Respighi has proven a most chivalrous host, entrusting me to the care of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov whom I have learned to address as Nikolai Andreyevich. While my grasp of the Russian language is feeble, we make ourselves understood in French, the second language of the better classes. I feel a little guilty about distracting him from his composition of opera music and preparation of studies for his conservatory students, but he insists on entertaining me on the few occasions when his wife, Nadezhda, is otherwise occupied.
With Nikolai Andreyevich as guide, Nadezhda, Signor Respighi and myself have been guided to some of the best venues in the city and introduced to friends of Nikolai Andreyevich. One of the most wonderful jewellers is the Maison Fabergé: it seems that every year, the Czar commissions a new jewelled easter-egg for the Czarina Maria Feodorovna, and one of the precious toys from a previous year was displayed in a place of honour in the store. It is a tiny mauve-enamelled egg with perfect miniature portraits of the Royal children! In our discussions of music, Signor Respighi has been telling me some of the things he was exploring under the tutelage of Luigi Torchi before he was offered the position with the Imperial Opera Orchestra, and from one of his manuscripts, I have transcribed "Packington's Pound". A tune which was later adapted for inclusion in John Gay's "Beggar's Opera".
With all my love,
your daughter, K.

To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

The Better 'Ole, In Search Of...

The First World War produced a number of memorable songs of its own, so when I started thinking about a visit to the battlefields of France, 1914 I was very pleased to learn about the blog of Private Harry Lamin. I don't think anybody can paint a clearer picture than Private Lamin, so I will just refer my patient reader to his blog, and reproduce the songs below to give a little of the flavour of the period.

The Better 'Ole	The Better 'Ole (a musical)	Fragments from France (What time do they feed the sea lions Alf?)

Among other things, Captain Bruce Bairnsfather will long be remembered for his comic drawings of the character "Ole' Bill" which did so much to maintain morale not only in the First World War, but also in the Second.

X: 1 T: It's a Long Way to Tipperary C:Words and Music by Jack Judge and Harry Williams. M: 4/4 L: 1/4 Q:1/4=120 P:ABA K:C % 0 sharps V:1 P:A c/e/d/c/ A/G/E/F/ | G/A/G/E/ G>z | c/e/d/c/ A/G/E/F/ | G/G/G/^F/ G>z | w:Up to might-y Lon-don came An I-rish lad one day, All the streets were paved with gold, So ever-y-one was gay! c/e/d/c/ A/G/E/=F/ | G/G/G/G/ B>z | c/e/d/c/ A/B/A/B/ | w:Sing-ing songs of Pic-ca-dil-ly, Strand, and Leices-ter Square, 'Til Pad-dy got ex-ci-ted and c/B/A/B/ c d2 z | w:He shout-ed to them there: P:B E/F/ G G z/G/ | A/B/ c e2 | w:It's a long way to Tip-per-a-ry, e/d/ c A2 | c G2 z | E/F/ G G z/G/| A/B/ c e2 | w:It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Tip-per-a-ry, c/c/ d A B | c d2 z | G G2 A/B/ | c e>z | w:To the sweet-est girl I know! Good-bye Pic-ca-dil-ly, f A c d| e2 z c/d/ | e e e/c/d/c/ | A2 G z | w:Fare-well Leices-ter Square! It's a long long way to Tip-per-a-ry, c e c2 | d c2 z |] w:But my heart's right there. W:Paddy wrote a letter To his Irish Molly O', W:Saying, "Should you not receive it, W:Write and let me know! W:If I make mistakes in "spelling", W:Molly dear", said he, W:"Remember it's the pen, that's bad, W:Don't lay the blame on me". W: W:Chorus W: W:Molly wrote a neat reply W:To Irish Paddy O', W:Saying, "Mike Maloney wants W:To marry me, and so W:Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, W:Or you'll be to blame, W:For love has fairly drove me silly, W:Hoping you're the same!" W: W:-0-Alternative wartime chorus-0- W:That's the wrong way to tickle Mary, W:That's the wrong way to kiss! W:Don't you know that over here, lad, W:They like it best like this! W:Hooray pour le Francais! W:Farewell, Angleterre! W:We didn't know the way to tickle Mary, W:But we learned how, over there!

The keen-eyed observer of WW I movies may notice that trenches were often named after familiar landmarks back home, so the reference to "Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester Square" would have had an extra depth of meaning for the troops.

X:3
T:Smile, Smile, Smile % title
C:Felix Powell, Lyric by George Asaf % composer
O:http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/otcgi/llscgi60 % origin.
M:2/4 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
%%staves L | { Kr1 Kr2 Kl }
V:L name="Lyric" sname="L."
V:Kr1 name="piano" sname="P." clef=treble
V:Kr2
V:Kl clef=bass
%
P:ABABA
K:G % key
P:A
%1=================2=============3===========================4=========================
[V:L] Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kr1] [DB,][DB,] | [B,G,] D/G/ | [B/D/][B/D/] [B/D/][A/C/] | [G/B,/]A/ [B/G/][c/A/] |
[V:Kr2] Z | z B, | Z | Z |
[V:Kl] G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/[d/f/] | [d/G/] z/ z |
%
%5=================6===================7=============================8==================9=============================
[V:L] Z | Z | Z | Z |:[L:1/16] Z |
[V:Kr1] [dBG] g/e/ | [d/B/]e//d// B/G/ | ([A2F2C2] |[GDB,]) z !segno!|:[L:1/16][G3B,3]E D2[B,2G,2] |
[V:Kr2] z ^A | Z | Z | Z |:[L:1/16] Z |
[V:Kl] [gG][^c'g]-| [d'/g/]z/ z | [d/D/][^d/^D/] [e/E/][f/F/] |[gG] [GG,] |:[L:1/16] G2d2 D2d2 |
%
%10====================11===========12===================13=========================14======================================
[V:L] Z :|[L:1/4] G>A | B A/ G/ |[L:1/8]E>F G E |[L:1/4] D/ C/ B,/ D/ |
w:Pri-vate Perks is a fun-ny lit-tle cod-ger With a
w:Pri-vate Perks went a-march-ing in-to Flan-ders With his
w:Pri-vate Perks he came back from Bosch-e shoot-ing With his
[V:Kr1][D3F,3]A, z4 :|[L:1/4] [GB,]>[AC] | [BD] [A/C/][G/B,/] |[L:1/8][EC]>[FD] [GE][EC] |[L:1/4][D/B,/][C/A,/] [B,/G,/][D/B,/]|
[V:Kr2] C2B,2 z4 :|[L:1/4] Z | Z |[L:1/8] Z |[L:1/4] Z |
[V:Kl] A2d2 D2EF :|[L:1/4] G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/d/ |[L:1/8] c g2 g |[L:1/4] G/ d d/ |
%
%15==================16===============17====================18==============================19=====================
[V:L] G2-|G/ B/ G/ A/ | G2-| G z | F F |
w:smile_ a fun-ny smile._ Five feet
w:smile_ his fun-ny smile._ He was
w:smile_ his fun-ny smile._ Round his
[V:Kr1] G2-|G/B/ A/B/ | [GDB,] d//B//G//B// | (3A//B//A// G/ (3A//B//A// G/ | F F |
[V:Kr2] [EB,] [^C^A,]-|[D/B,/] z/ [FC] | Z | [EC] [_EC] | F/B,/ F/B,/ |
[V:Kl] e (_e |d/) z/ D | G [d'b'g'] | g2 | ^d/[a/f/] B/[a/f/] |
%
%20======================21==========================22==========================23===========
[V:L] B A/ F/ |[L:1/16]E3 F G2 A2 |[L:1/4] B/ G/ E/ D/ | ^C2-|
w:none, he's an art-ful lit-tle dod-ger With a smile_
w:lov'd by the pri-vates and com-man-ders for his smile_
w:home he then set a-bout re-cruit-ing With his smile_
[V:Kr1] B A/[F/B,/] |[L:1/16]E3F G2[A2^D2B,2] |[L:1/4] B/G/ [E/G,/][D/^G,/] | [^CA,] B-|
[V:Kr2] B/B,/ z |[L:1/16] z2 [B,4G,4] z2 |[L:1/4][EB,] B, | z [GEC]-|
[V:Kl] ^d/[a/f/] b/[a/d/] |[L:1/16] e6 f2 |[L:1/4] g e | A a-|
%
%24===============25================26==============27===================28=========================
[V:L] C/ G/ ^D/ E/ | A2-| A z | _B B | G _B |
w:_ a fun-ny smile._ Flush or broke he'll
w:_ his fun-ny smile._ When a throng of
w:_ his fun-ny smile._ He told all his
[V:Kr1] A/G/ ^D/E/ | [AFC] D/^C//D// | _E/D/ ^G,/A,/ | _B/_B,/ _B/_B,/ | G/[_E/_B,/] _B/[G/B,/] |
[V:Kr2][G/E/C/]z/ z| Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl] a/g/ ^d/e/ | D ^d/c//d// | _d/c/ ^G/A/ | G/[g/d/] z/ [g/d/] | _E/_e/ z/ e/ |
%
%29======================================30==================31=============32===============
[V:L][L:1/16] F3_E D2 E2 |[L:1/4] F2 | A A | G E |
w:have his lit-tle joke, He can't be sup-
w:Bosch-es came a-long With a might-y
w:pals, the short, the tall, What a time he'd
[V:Kr1][L:1/16][F3D3][_EC] [D2_B,2][F2C2] |[L:1/4] [FD] z | [A^FD] [AFD] | [GD] [E^CA,] |
[V:Kr2][L:1/16] Z |[L:1/4] Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl][L:1/16] _B2 f4 f2-|[L:1/4] f/f/ g/^g/ | A/d/ f/a/ | b g |
%
%33===================34=========================35==================36=======================
[V:L] A2-| A2 | A A | B F |
w:press'd._ All the oth-er
w:swing,_ Perks yell'd out "This
w:had;_ And as each en-
[V:Kr1][AEA,] a/f//d// | (3^c//d//e// (3B//c//B// A/ | A A | B F |
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | A/[D/A,/] A/[D/A/]| B/[^D/B,/] F/[D/B,/] |
[V:Kl] f [f'd'a] | [g'2^c'2a2] | F/ f f/ | ^d/a/ B/a/ |
%
%37=======================================38============================39==============40=================
[V:L][L:1/16]G3 F G2 A2 |[L:1/4] B ^A/ B/ | ^c B | F E |
w:fel-lows have to grin When he gets this off his
w:lit-tle bunch is mine! Keep your heads down, boys and
w:list-ed like a man Pri-vate Perks said "Now my
[V:Kr1][L:1/16][A3E3][F^D] [G2E2][A2D2B,2] |[L:1/4][BEB,][^A/^A,][B/B,/] | [^cG^C] [BGC] | [F^CA,] [ECG,] |
[V:Kr2][L:1/16] Z |[L:1/4] Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl][L:1/16] e2 [b4g4] d2 |[L:1/4] e/[b/g/] z | A/ e g/ | A/^A/ B/^c/ |
%
%41===================42==============
[V:L] D z | Z ||
w:chest,
w:sing,
w:lad,
[V:Kr1] [DA,F,] z | [d2c2F2] ||
[V:Kr2] Z | Z ||
[V:Kl] d [c/C/][d/D/] | [BB,][AA,] ||
%
%43======================44==============================45==========46==============
P:B
[V:L]|: D D/ E/ | D/ C/ B,/ C/ | D B | B A |
w:Pack up your troub-les in your old kit-bag And
[V:Kr1]|:[DB,][D/B,/][E/C/] | [D/B,/][C/A,/] [B,/G,/][C/A,/] |[DB,][BGB,]|[BGB,][AFC]|
[V:Kr2]|: Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl]|: G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/d/ | G/ d d/ | G/ d ^d/ |
%
%47=============48==========49=================50======================================
[V:L] G2 | E2 | D2-| D2 |
w:smile, smile, smile_
[V:Kr1][G2E2B,2] |[E2C2G,2] |[DB,] D |[D/C/A,/F,/][B,/G,/] [C/A,/][^C/A,/] |
[V:Kr2] Z | Z |[L:1/16] z4 B,3G, |[L:1/4] Z |
[V:Kl] e2 | c/d/ e/f/ | g (B| A/) z/ D |
%
%51=======================52=============================53===========54====================
[V:L] D D/ E/ | D/ C/ B,/ C/ | D B | G2 |
w:While you've a Lu-ci-fer to light your fag,
[V:Kr1][DB,] [D/B,/][E/C/] |[D/B,/][C/A,] [B,/G,/][C/A,/] |[DB,][BA^D] |[G2E2B,2] |
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl] G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/d/ | G/d/ F/^d/ | E/e/ [f/F/][g/G/] |
%
%55===============56============57===============58=======================================
[V:L] A E | F G | A2-| A2 |
w:smile boys, that's the style._
[V:Kr1][AG^C][ECA,]|[FDA,][G^CA,]| ([A2F2C2]|[d/c/F/])[f//d//][e//c//] [d/B/][c/A/]|
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl] G/d/ F/^d/ |[fF] [eE] |[dD][f/F/][e/E/]|[d/D/][c/C/] [B/B,/][A/A,/]|
%
%59=============60========61==================62============63=========64================
[V:L] G>A | B G | F/ G/ A-| A B | c A | B G |
w:What's the use of wor-ry-ing?_ It ne-ver was worth-
[V:Kr1][L:1/8][G3B,3][AC][L:1/4]|[BD][GB,]|[F/D/][G/E/] [AFD]-| [AFD] [BFD] |[cE][A^FC]| [BGD][GE^C] |
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl]G/d/ D/d/ |G/d/ D/d/| A d/e/ | [c'f] g | c d | g [ae] |
%
%65=================66===========================67===================68===============================
[V:L] A2 | d2 | D D/ E/ | D/ C/ B,/ C/ |
w:while. So pack up your troub-les in your
[V:Kr1][A2F2D2C2] | [d2c2F2] | [DB,] [D/B,/][E/C/]| [D/B,/][C/A,/][B,/G,/][C/A,/]|
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | Z | Z |
[V:Kl]d [d/D/][e/E/] | [d/D/][c/C/] [B/B,/][A/A,/]| [G/G,/]d/ D/d/ | G/d/ D/d/ |
%
%69=================70=========71========72===========73==========================74===============================
[V:L] D d | d c | B2 | A2 |[L:1/16][1 G8-|[L:1/4] G z :|
w:old kit-bag, And smile, smile, smile._
[V:Kr1] [DB] [dGD] |[dGD][cGE]|[B2G2B,2]|[A2F2C2] |[L:1/16][1 [G3D3B,3]D E2F2 |[L:1/4]G/[A/A,/][B/B,/][c/C/]:|
[V:Kr2] Z | Z | Z | Z |[L:1/16][1 Z |[L:1/4] Z :|
[V:Kl] G/d/ b |[bB] [c'c]| d2 | D/^D/ E/F/ |[L:1/16][1 G2B2 c2d2 |[L:1/4]e/f/ g/a/ :|
%
%75====
[V:L][2 G2-| G z !segno!|]
w:smile._
[V:Kr1][2 [G2D2B,2]|[gdBG] z |]
[V:Kr2][2 Z | Z |]
[V:Kl][2 G D | G, z |]

Notes

1. Lucifer; a popular brand of match 2. fag; British slang for a cigarette See JM's Sketchbook for more firsthand images of WW I To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].

Black Coffee

The Playhouse A Satyr,

by Robert Gould,

1685

The Middle Galle'ry first demands our View; The filth of Jakes, and stench of ev'ry Stew! Here reeking Punks like Ev'ning Insects swarm; The Polecat's Perfume much the Happier Charm...

Discreet in this, their Faces not to shew; The Mask the best Complexion of the two. Their Noses falling and their Eyes sunk in, A wrinkl'd Forehead and a Parchment Skin...

Choak't with the stench of Brimstone, 'twill be fit To Visit next the Boxes and the Pit, And for the Muse a Nobler Scene prepare, And let Her breathe awhile in Milder Air.

But such a sudden Glare invades her Eyes, So vast a Crowd of diffe'rent Vanities, She knows where not to fix her Rancour first; So very Wicked all, that all are worst!...

Such Giddy Insects here for ever come, And very little Dare, but much Presume: Perpetually the Ladies Ears they Ply, And whisper Slander at the Standers by:

Then laugh aloud; which now is grown a part Of Play-house Breeding, and of Courtly Art. The true Sign of Your Modish Beau Garson Is Chatt'ring like a Ladies lewd Baboon,

Shewing their Teeth to charm some pretty creature; For Grinning, amoung Fops, is held a Feature...
All People now, the Place is grown so ill, Before they see a Play shou'd make their Will:

For with much more Security , a Man Might take a three Years Voyage to Japan.

Having walked north from Westminster Abbey we probably have an hour or two before Drury Lane theatre begins the evening performance, and since we're in the vicinity of several coffee houses it seems a good place to stop, wet our whistles and ask about what's playing.

Inside the atmosphere of mouth-watering coffee scent is underlaid by the whiff of smoke from clay pipes. The variety of coffees and chocolate on offer is bewildering, with so many spices and roasts to choose from I think we would be justified in spending a few minutes considering before we choose.

I'm glad you insisted on Will's Coffee House (can't miss it, look for the sign of the Rose), rather than the Turk's Head which I thought looked like a good bet. I've heard several people discussing recent plays since we settled at this table. The impression I get is that most of the plays aren't staged for very long; a week or two at most and the audiences are ready for something new.

The small huddle of gentlemen engaged in conversation a few tables over has been dwindling since we came in, and now the last two have left and I recognize the face of Mr.Dryden. I think we should invite him to join us at our table.

"Have I the honour of addressing Mr. Dryden?"

"You have, sir. Though few enough would count it an honour these days."

"Then might I invite you to share our table for a few minutes, and we shall count it both an honour and a pleasure, sir."

What I am hoping is that we might be able to find out if any of Dryden's plays are currently on the stage, but it seems that since he lost his position as Poet Laureate seven years ago, even his plays have lost their lustre with the public. I can quite understand his slightly melancholy mood.

However, as he tells us, he is free now to work on something that has interested him since his collegiate days; a translation of the works of Publius Virgilius Maro. Once he starts explaining the fascination of the classical poet's works, his face lights up with a new enthusiasm.

Returning eventually to the question of the London stage, I ask whether he knows what is playing at present, that might be worth the cost of admission.

It seems that the only play he feels would be worth our time, and that more for the theatrical music than the play itself, is a revival of Abdelazer, or The Moor's Revenge by the late Aphra Behn, as a series of benefit performances for the widow of Michael Mohun. Although she was widowed more than a decade ago, she has always been supportive of the acting community, and being unable to work because of increasingly painful arthritis, reluctantly sought their help.

While we are talking, we are joined once more by the familiar figure of Mr.Pepys. As soon as introductions have been made (I am flattered that Samuel Pepys remembers us by the sound of our voices, from our previous encounter in the Lloyds Coffee House), Mr.Pepys cautions us against the Orange Girls.

These traders visit the playhouses to sell fruit at extortionate prices, and Pepys himself tells us how:

The orange-woman did come in the pit and challenge me for twelve oranges, which she delivered by my order at a late play, at night, to give to some ladies in a box, which was wholly untrue, but yet she swore it to be true. But, however, I did deny it, and did not pay her; but , for quiet, did buy 4s.¹ worth of oranges of her, at 6d. a-piece.'

Dryden summarises the play for us as follows: it was published in 1657 and tells the story of a vengeful wicked Moor, whose kingdom has been vanquished by Spain, who tires of his affair with the lascivious Queen of Spain and plots with her to murder the King, thinking to murder her afterwards, and reign with his innocent young wife. However, the Queen in her turn kills his wife, and plots to take her son’s throne. It is full of action with armies engaged on stage, people in disguise escaping from imprisonment and torture and a final act in which the wicked are punished and the good prince wins the throne.²

If Mr.Dryden felt that the music for the play was better than the play itself, I can hardly disagree with him. From the play, here is Mr. Henry Purcell's Rondeau.

X:4 % number T:Rondeau % title C:Henry Purcell % composer O:Music for Abdelazer or The Moor's Revenge (Dolce Edition) % origin. M:3/4 % meter L:1/8 % length of shortest note Q: % tempo P:ABACA %%staves Sop | {Hr1 Hr2 Hl} V:Sop name="Soprano" sname="S." clef=treble V:Hr1 name="Harpsichord" sname="Hp." clef=treble V:Hr2 clef=treble V:Hl clef=bass K:F % key P:A %1===============================2====================3================4================= [V:Sop]|: D2 F2 A2 | de/f/ g/f/e/d/ ^c2 | ad/f/ a/f/d b2 | gc/e/ g/e/c a2 | [V:Hr1]|: [FDA,]2 [FDA,]2 [EA,]2 | F G/A/ B2 [AE^C]2 | A2 d2 d/B/G | [cGC]4 c/A/F | [V:Hr2]|: Z | D2 DG z2 | D4 z2 | Z | [V:Hl] |: d2 d2 c2 | B2 G2 A2 | f4 g2 | e4 f2 | % %5=====================6=================7=======================8========================== [V:Sop] fB/d/ f/d/B g2 | eA/^c/ e/c/A f2 | e/f/e/d/ ^cf e/f/e/d/ | Ad ^c/d/e/c/ !fine! d2 :| [V:Hr1] [BFD]4 B/G/E | [AEA,]4 A/F/D | [BD]2 [AE^C]2 [GD]2 | GF E2 [FDA,]2 :| [V:Hr2] Z | Z | Z | ^CD A,2 z2 :| [V:Hl] d4 e2 | ^c4 d2 | G2 A2 B2 | A4 d2 :| % P:B %9========================10=====================11=====================12===================== [V:Sop] F2 A2 c2 | fg/a/ b/a/g/f/ ef/g/ | ab/a/ ga/g/ fF/G/ | ab/a/ ga/g/ Ff/e/ | [V:Hr1] [CA,]2 [FC]2 [GC]2 | AB/c/ [dBF]2 [cGE]2 | [cAF]2 [cGC]2 A=B | [cE]2 [GE]2 [cFC]2 | [V:Hr2] Z | F2 z2 z2 | z2 z2 F2 | Z | [V:Hl] f4 e2 | d2 B2 c2 | c2 B2 A2 | c2 B2 A2 | % %13=========================14====================15====================16============================ [V:Sop] de/d/ cd/c/ Bg/f/ | ef/e/ de/d/ Ca/g/ | fg/f/ ef/e/ dg | cf e/f/g/e/ f2 || [V:Hr1] [BFD]2 [cFC]2 [BGD]2 | [GEC]2 [GD]2 [AEC]2 | [AFD]2 [AE]2 AB/A/ | [GE][AF] [GEC]2 [AFC]2 || [V:Hr2] Z | Z | z2 z2 FD | Z || [V:Hl] B2 A2 G2 | c2 B2 A2 | d2 c2 B2 | c4 F2 || % P:C %17===============================18============================19============================= [V:Sop] !trill! c>d c/d/e f/e/d/c/ | !trill! =B>c B/c/d e/d/c/B/ | !trill! c>d c/d/e f/e/d/c/ | [V:Hr1] [AEC]4 [cE]2 | [=BE]4 [BE]2 | [AEC]4 [AFD]2 | [V:Hr2] Z | Z | Z | [V:Hl] a2 A2 a2 | ^f2 e2 g2 | a2 A2 d2 | % %20======================21============================22===========================23============================= [V:Sop] !trill! c3 =B A2 | !trill! e>f e/f/g a/g/f/e/ | !trill! f>g f/g/a b/a/g/f/ | !trill! e>f e/f/g a/g/f/e/ | [V:Hr1] A2 ^G2 [AEC]2 | ^c>d c/d/e f/e/d/c/ | d>e d/e/f g/f/e/d/ | ^c>d c/d/e f/e/d/c/ | [V:Hr2] [E=B,]4 z2 | [AE]4 A2 | A4 B2 | A4 A2 | [V:Hl] e4 A2 | a2 ^c'2 a2 | d'2 d2 g2 | a2 A2 d2 | % %24=========================================== [V:Sop][L:1/32] f6g2 !trill! g6fg !D.C.! a8 || [V:Hr1] [dAF]2 [dGD]2 [^cAE]2 || [V:Hr2] Z || [V:Hl] dc B2 A2 || To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit]. If you know the music of Benjamin Britten, you might also recognize this as the theme for his "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra".

Notes

1. English currency before decimalisation:

Pounds	Shillings	Pence
£	s.	d.

2. I would like to acknowledge Dawn Lewcock's article for a summary of the plot.