The Queen is dead. Long Live the King.

"'at's Queen Mary. She choked on a plum."
"she did not. You bin listenin' to Possle again encha? 'E don't know nuffin' so 'e makes it up."
My two young advisers are a couple of Thames mudlarks, urchins who, in the absence of better employment, contribute to their families welfare by searching the mud of the riverbank at low tide for dropped valuables and the occasional coin. Although they're equally likely to be found knocking hats off unwary heads with a well-aimed stone. And only the sharpest wits are ever likely to see exactly where the missile originated.
"'ere 'e is nah. Wotcha Possle!"
"Permit me to introduce myself sirs. I have the honour to be your humble servant, Oliver Postlethwaite, apothecary surgeon".
Possle is a rather tatty-looking character with stockings that don't quite match and a pervasive odour of stale urine.
"If I may be so bold sir, your complexion suggests that you suffer from a weakness of the stones, for which I can offer a very efficacious remedy."
He may be half-wasted, but Possle's diagnosis is worryingly accurate, at least to the point of identifying that I have a very feminine appearance.
We are here on the edges of a crowd that is still assembling outside Westminster Abbey to pay our final respects to the late Queen Mary(or just take advantage of an excuse to close the shop for an hour or two). As the funeral procession approaches, the drumbeat changes while remaining consistent.
Tan tan tan ta-ta tan
Tan ta-ta tan tan tan
Ta-ta tan tan ta-ta tan
Tan tan ta-ta tan tan
Until inside the abbey, a final TAN-TAN! marks the halt. I can't see anybody signalling from here at the back of the crowd, but it seems somebody has performed a very deft sleight-of-hand, because, precisely as the catafalque entered the abbey, the organ began a sombre tune in perfect time to the drumbeat.
Among the other vendors working the crowd is a ballad-seller with something very unusual, and very interesting to me: a copy of Purcell's Ode on the Birthday of Queen Mary composed only eight months earlier for the celebrations.

X:3 T:Strike the viol % title C:Henry Purcell % composer O:William F. Long transcription % origin. N:http://www.drdrbill.com/music.html M:3/4 % meter L:1/8 % length of shortest note Q:60 % tempo %%staves Ct { ( Hr1 Hr2 ) ( Hl ) } V:Ct name="Countertenor" sname="Ct" % voice 1 V:Hr1 name="Harpsichord" sname="Hp" clef=treble V:Hr2 clef=treble V:Hl clef=bass K:C % key %1======================2============================3==================4============================= [V:Ct] Z | Z |: e>d c2 dB | c2 A2 z2 | w:Strike__ the_ vi-ol, [V:Hr1] [ECA,]4 [EDB,]2 | [ECA,]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G,]2 |: [ECA,]4 [EDB,]2 | [ECA,]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G,]2 | [V:Hl] A3 a ^ge | a2 z d eE |: A2 z a ^ge | a2 z d eE | % %5======================6============================7==================8============================ [V:Ct] e>d c2 dB | c2 A2 z2 | c2 z2 B/c/d | B2 z2 cG | w:strike__ the_ vi-ol, touch, touch,__ touch, touch_ [V:Hr1] [ECA,]4 [EDB,]2 | [ECA,]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G,]2 | [ECA,]4 [FB,A,]2 |[FB,G,]2 z [DB,G,] [ECG,]2 | [V:Hl] A3 a ^ge | a2 z d eE | A3 a fd | g2 z g ec | % %9===============================10==================11================12============================ [V:Ct][L:1/16] ABc2 BA3G3 ^F |[L:1/8] E4 z2 | A^GAc B2 | c4 z2 | w:touch,__ touch__ the Lute; wake___ the Harp, [V:Hr1] [FCA,]2 z [FCA,] [DB,G,]2 | [ECG,]4 [EB,^G,]2 | [ECA,]4 [EDB,]2 | [ECA,]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G]2 | [V:Hl] f2 z d gG | c2 z d eE | A2 z a ^ge | a2 z d eE | % %13====================14==========================15========================16============ [V:Ct] A^GAc B2 | c4 z2 | cBce d2 | e4 dc | w:wake___ the Harp; wake___ the Harp, in- [V:Hr1] [ECA,]4 [EDB,]2 | [ECA,]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G]2 | [ECA,]2 z [ECG,] [DG,]2 | [ECG,]6 | [V:Hl] A2 z a ^ge | a2 z d eE | A2 z c BG | c2 z d ec | % %17=======================18========================19========================20================== [V:Ct][L:1/16] B3cABcdc3 B |[L:1/8] c4 z2 | cBcd e2 | e4 dc | w:spire______ the Flute; wake___ the Harp, in- [V:Hr1] [FB,A,]4 [FB,G,]2 | [ECG,]3 [FCA,] [DB,G,]2 | [ECG,]2 z [ECG,] [DG,]2 | [ECG,]4 [GCG,]2 | [V:Hl] f3 d gG | c3 d GG, | C2 z c BG | c3 d ec | % %21========================22==================23========================24============================= [V:Ct][L:1/16] B2c2Bcd2c3 B |[L:1/8] c4 z2 :| c4 z2 |: z2 G2 G2 | w:spire_____ the flute; flute; Sing, your [V:Hr1] [FB,A,]4 [FB,G,]2 | [ECG,]4 [EC^G,]2 :| [ECG,]2 z [FCA,] [DBG]2 |: [ECG,]2 z [FCA,] [DB,G,]2 | [V:Hl] f3 D gG | c2 z d cB :| c2 z F GG, |: c2 z F GG, | % %25============================26==========================27===============28=========================== [V:Ct] G4 G2 | ABAB c2 | B4 z2 | z2 d2 d2 | w:Pa-tro-ne----ss's praise, Sing your [V:Hr1] [ECG,]2 z [ECG,] [DG,]2 | [ECG,]2 z [ECA,] [^FCA,]2 | [GDB,]4 [ADC]2 | [GDB,]2 z [GEC] [^FDA,]2 | [V:Hl] C2 z c BG | c2 z A dD | G2 z g ^fd | g2 z c dD | % %29===================30==========================31================32===============33================== [V:Ct] d3e d2 | dedf e2 | f4 d2 | z2 B2 e2 | z2 A2 cB | w:Pa--tro-ness's____ praise, Sing, sing, sing, sing in_ [V:Hr1] [GDB,]4 [ADC]2 | [GDB,]2 z [FDA,] [E^CA,]2 | [FDA,]4 [ADA,]2 | [GDB,]4 [GEC]2 | [FCA,]4 [FDG,]2 | [V:Hl] G2 z g ^fd | g2 z d aA | d2 z e fd | g2 z g ec | f2 z f dB | % %34=======================35=========================36================37======================= [V:Ct] ^GE/^F/GFGF/E/ | AA/B/cBc/B/A | dB/c/dcd/c/B | cc/d/ede/d/c | w:cheer---------- [V:Hr1] [EB,^G,]4 [^GEB,]2 | [AEA,]2 z [^GEB,] [AEC]2 | [GDB,]4 [GFB,]2 | [GEC]2 z [GFD] [EC]2 | [V:Hr2] Z36 | z4 GA | [V:Hl] e2 z B eB | c2 z e ae | f2 z d gd | e2 z d cA | % %38=============39==========================40==========================41==== [V:Ct] fedc B A | AB A/B/c BA |[1 A4 z2 :|[2 A6 |] w:----full and har--mo---nious_ lays. [V:Hr1] [^GFB,]6 | [AEC]2 z [FCA,] [EB,^G,]2 |[1 [ECA,]2 z [ECG,] [DG,] :|[2 [ECA,]6 |] [V:Hl] e2 z B cA | e2 z d eE |[1 A2 z c BG :|[2 A6 |] 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]. To listen to the Funeral March for Queen Mary II, click the gramophone.

I don't know about you, but after the funeral, I feel like something a bit more cheerful. What say we totter along to Drury Lane and see if Mr.Dryden has something new to entertain us?

Organ Prelude

We bustle along with the other members of the congregation beneath a sullen, gray sky towards the church of St. Boniface, in the little German town of Arnstadt, in the princedom of Thuringia, deep in the heart of Germany. My hope is that today, Easter Sunday (March 23rd) 1704, we might have an opportunity to hear, or even meet, the nineteen-year old organist who was appointed here just last year. Not yet out of his teens and already, the name of Johann Sebastian Bach is known to everybody with more than a passing interest in music. He was invited to inspect, and give the inaugural recital on the organ in the church last summer, so I have great expectations for this visit.
The Lutheran divine service of this time takes a while, so we should make ourselves comfortable. We can probably expect to be here for at least the next two hours, possibly three.
Settling in one of the unoccupied pews toward the back of the church, a distant rumble of thunder is audible. It's a little unusual to hear thunder this early in the year, but what follows is a genuine delight! The unseen organist opens the swell box of his instrument and lets rip with an answering thunderclap that echoes before entering into a virtuosic musical evocation of raindrops pattering against the windows and the tiled roof! By the end of the Twentieth Century scholars were increasingly uncertain whether J.S.Bach had in fact composed the Toccata and Fugue attributed to him. Given the frequency with which he borrowed musical ideas from other composers, and reworked his own earlier compositions, I think the confusion is understandable.
Here is the abc notation for the chorale we sung that morning, arranged for guitar: Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme

X:1
T:Wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme % title
C:Johann Sebastian Bach % composer
O:Dirk Meineke-d.meineke@web.de % origin.
M:C                          % meter
L:1/8                        % length of shortest note
Q:60                         % tempo
%%staves (1 2)
V:1 clef=treble name="Guitar" % voice 1
V:2 clef=treble
%
K:C
[V:1]       G2 | c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z G | c/d/e ed fe GF |
[V:2][L:1/4] z | C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C    z | C     C  C  E, |
%
[V:1] e/c/d FE Bc z g | g2 f/e/d/c/ d/c/B/A/ GA/B/ | c/d/e/d/ f/e/d/c/ ed dG |
[V:2] F,    G, C  z   | E, A,       G,       F,    | E,       C        G, B, |
%
[V:1] e^f fg c/B/c CA | ^fg ga c/B/c Dc'| b/a/g g/^f/g E/f/e/d/ c/B/A/G/ |
[V:2] C   B, A,    C  | D   E  ^F    D  | G     ^F     E        D        |
%
[V:1] A/B/c c/B/c A,/^f/g/a/ g/f/e/d/ | gB     BA/G/ G/c/B/A/ B[GD] |
[V:2] C     B,    A,         C        | B,/G,/ D/D/  E,/B,/   G,    |
%
[V:1] E>^F  F>G   [GD]3  G | c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z G |
[V:2] C/A,/ D/A,/ [B,G,]>z | C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C  z   |
%
[V:1] c/d/e ed fe GF | e/c/d FE Bc z g | g2 f/e/d/c/ d/c/B/A/ GA/B/ |
[V:2] C     C  C  E, | F,    G, C  z   | E, A,       B,       F,    |
%
[V:1] c/d/e/d/ f/e/d/c/ ed   B,c | ab bc' f/e/f  ca    | bc' c'd' f/e/f Fd |
[V:2] E,       C        G/F/ B,  | B, D  G,/A,/ B,/F,/ | D   G    A     F  |
%
[V:1] e/d/c A/B/c c/_b/a/g/ f/e/d/c/ | d/e/f D/e/f G,/B/c/d/ c/B/A/G/ |
[V:2] G     A     F/E/      D/C/     | B,    D     G,/A,/    G,/F,/   |
%
[V:1] gc     e/d/c/B/ c/f/e/d/ ec   | A>B  B>c       c4-| c8     |]
[V:2] E,/A,/ F,/B,/   A,/B,/   C/E/ | F/D/ G/G,/ [GEC]2-| [GEC]4 |]

Deutsch

English

Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme Der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne, Wach auf, du Stadt Jerusalem! Mitternacht heißt diese Stunde, Sie rufen uns mit hellem Munde: Wo seid ihr klugen Jungfrauen? Wohlauf, der Bräut'gam kömmt, Steht auf, die Lampen nehmt! Halleluja! Macht euch bereit zu der Hochzeit, Ihr müßet ihm entgegengehn! Zion hört die Wächter singen, Das Herz tut ihr vor Freuden springen, Sie wacht und stehet eilend auf. Ihr Freund kommt vom Himmel prächtig, Von Gnaden stark, von Wahrheit mächtig, Ihr Licht wird hell, ihr Stern geht auf. Nun komm, du werte Kron', Herr Jesu, Gottes Sohn! Hosianna! Wir folgen all' zum Freudensaal Und halten mit das Abendmahl. Gloria sei dir gesungen Mit Menschen- und mit Engelzungen, Mit Harfen und mit Zimbeln schön. Von zwölf Perlen sind die Pforten An deiner Stadt, wir sind Konsorten Der Engel hoch um deinen Thron. Kein Aug hat je gespürt, Kein Ohr hat mehr gehört Solche Freude. Das sind wir froh, i-o, i-o, Ewig in dulci jubilo.

“Wake, arise,” loud call the voices of Watchmen so high in the tower, “Wake up, you town Jerusalem!” Midnight’s hour is now approaching They call to us with lucid voices: Where are the clever virgins now? Behold, the bridegroom comes Rise up, your lanterns take! Alleluia! Prepare yourself for the wedding, You must arise and go to him! Zion hears the watchmen singing The maidens’ hearts with joy are springing They wake and quickly to Him go. Their Friend comes in Heav’nly splendor With graceful strength, with mercy tender Their light is bright, their star doth glow. Now come, thou worthy One; Lord Jesus, God’s own Son Hosanna! We follow all to that glad hall To our Lord’s table we are called. “Gloria” we all are singing With earth and heav’n our voices ringing With harp and cymbal’s clearest tone. Twelve great pearls adorn the portals. At your fair city we are consorts With angels high around Your throne. No eye has ever seen No ear has ever heard Such a rapture. Our song doth go Io, Io! Ever in dulci jubilo.

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].

Saint Patrick's Day 2008

What could possibly be better than celebrating Saint Patrick's Day 2008 at the Buggleskelly Motor Show? Sponsored by Flanagan's Garage the highlight of this year's show is Mr. O'Rafferty's kit-car. Internationally famous as the founder of Ireland's home-built car industry, Dinny O'Rafferty's roadster is a superb example of Irish ingenuity and engineering skill.
Capable of an astonishing 90mph on just one gallon of Guinness, it remains the envy of more sophisticated automotive designers.

X:68 % number
T: O'Rafferty's Motor Car % title
C:Tommie Connor % composer
O:Songs and Dances of Ireland% origin.
M:6/8 % meter
L:1/8 % length of shortest note
P:AB
Q:180 % tempo
K:C % key
V:1 % voice 1
P:A
G |: "C" ccc "F" ccc | "C" c2 G EFG | "D7" A2 c "G7" d2 B | "C" c3-c2 G |
w:Now Din-ny O' Raf-fer-ty's mo-tor car is the great-est I de-clare,_ It's
Gcc "F" c2 c | "C" c2 G E2 G | "D7" A2 d d2 c | "G7" B3-B2 G |
w:made up of bits and piece-s that he's picked up here and there,_ The
"F" A2 A A2 c | "Em" B2 G EFG | "F" A2 G "G7" F2 A |"C" G3-GGG |
w:en-gine must be age-s old but it's still got lots of power,_ With a
Gcc "F" cBc | "C" c2 G EFG | "D7" A2 c "G7" d2 B | "C" c3-c2 G ||
w:gal-lon of stout in the pet-rol tank it does nine-ty miles an hour!_ Oh
P:B
"C" e2 c cBc | e2 c cGG | "D7" A2 c "G7" B2 c |
w:What a won-der-ful mo-tor car, it's the great-est ev-er
"C" c3-c2 G | Gcc "F" ccc | "C" c2 G EFG | "D7" A2 d d2 c |
w:seen!_ It used to be black as me fath-er's hat, now it's For-ty Shades of
"G7" B3-B2 G | "F" A2 A A2 c | "Em" B2 G EFG | "F" A2 G F2 A |
w:Green!_ On T. V. and the Ra-di-o and in ev-'ry pub-lic
"C" G3-G2 G | "F" G2 c "F#dim" c2 c | "C" c2 G EGG | "D7" ABc "G7" d2 B |
w:bar,_ the burn-ing ques-tion of the day is O'-Raf-fer-ty's mo-tor
[1-4 "C" c3-c2 z | z4 z G : |[5 "C" c3-c z3 : |
w:car!_ Now car!_
W:
W:Now two of the wheels are triangular and the third one's off a pram.
W:The Fourth is the last remaining wheel from off a Dublin tram,
W:The number plate's in Gaelic and the plugs won't even spark,
W:And the chassis came off of a tinker's cart that collapsed in Phoenix Park.
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Now go for a ride in that motor car and you'll end up with the shakes;
W:The road from Cork to Dublin is a vale of pains and aches,
W:When traffic lights turn red ahead then you'd best jump out the door,
W:For the minute that Dinny treads on the brake, then his foot goes through the floor!
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Now if you could see the upholstery, then your eyes would start to pop,
W:It's nothing but empty beer crates with a load of sacks on top.
W:The windscreen's gone to Lord-knows-where and there's mothballs in the horn,
W:And I reckon he'd only get half a quid if he took it to the pawn.
W:
W:Chorus
W:
W:Now Dinny was driving 'round last week when the engine did the splits!
W:It went up in smoke and nearly blew O'Connell Street to bits!
W:They searched for Dinny and they found he'd landed up by heck
W:Away on top of the G.P.O.¹ with his L-plates² round his neck!
W:
W:Chorus

1. General Post Office
2. L-plates, used to identify a learner driver

X:69 % number
T:My Car % title
C:Myscha Aiken % composer
O:Deer Run Lane Asylum for the Musically Incompetent % origin.
M:4/4 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:240 % tempo
K:C % key
V:1 % voice 1
F D C F | C D C F | D C F2 |
w:I bought a car to-day, I got a good deal!
F G D E | D G D E | D G E D | G2 z C |
w:It has-n't got a sun-roof or a ste-er-ing wheel, but
D E E D | C E C D | C F F E | ^D =D2 z |
w:It's got a lot of fea-tures that I think are re-al neat;
D D G G | A G2 F | D E F ^F | G3 z |
w:I can e-ven e-ject from the pas-sen-ger seat!
W:
W:I took it to the carwash to get the full wax
W:It made the rust fall off, but it filled all the cracks
W:Then out onto the motorway, we really had fun
W:We shot a ring and blew smoke till we blacked out the sun!
W:
W:Underneath the dashboard I pulled out a loose wire,
W:It turned the heater on and the dashboard caught fire!
W:I doused it with my mug of tea, you know what I mean,
W:And when the sparks stopped we had a smoky windscreen.
W:
W:I sold my car today, the buyer paid cash.
W:I didn't hang about, I was gone in a flash.
W:It's hard to get the parts for these peculiar makes;
W:It hasn't got an oil filter, headlamps or brakes!

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 Scarlet Woman is Hatching the Egg of a Dragon

Pardonnez moi, Monsieur. My friend and I are in disagreement about the date. I maintain that this is the Year of our Lord 1593, but this simpleton, my friend, insists the year is 1594.

You should not speak so unkindly of your friend. Perhaps she was dreaming in the hot sunshine and has confused her dream with reality? it is the Year of Grace 1593.

I thank you Monsieur. You see? I told you so.

While we are in the marketplace, we should buy suitable clothing to disguise ourselves as clerics. It shouldn't be too difficult, since the habits are still fairly close to the kind of clothing worn by many poor people. Just in better repair. And then, we must find the cathedral school where it is a fair bet we will find Pére Tabourot teaching, or assisting in the cathedral. I am hoping we may be able to persuade Jehan to spare a little of his time to teach us some of the dance tunes for which he will one day be famous.

You seek Pére Tabourot? but you must hurry! He is summoned to the palace of the Bishop.

When we find Pére Tabourot he is about to leave his tiny office. The tiny elderly priest with short-cropped white hair and twinkling blue eyes has an enormous square bundle wrapped in coarse cloth tucked under his arm and a cane in his free hand.

God be blessed! Please come with me. Would you carry my burden for me? And may the Holy Spirit fill you with His wisdom to make up my shortcomings.

He doesn't even stop to ask who we are, or where we are from, so at least we are spared the risk of a carefully constructed backstory being exposed. And for a gentleman of seventy-four years with a cane, he moves through the crowds with an astonishing turn of speed, calling back to us every now and then to keep up, and offering a hasty blessing to those he bumps into in his haste.

The palace of Charles de Perusse des Cars, temporal duke of Langres and Bishop of Langres, is nothing if not palatial! Liveried guardsmen verify our credentials and the reason for our visit, liveried servants conduct us through the palace to the Bishop's library and bid us wait, and liveried servants bring silver trays of small delicacies to the library before another guest is ushered in.

His dress is not that of a cleric, but nevertheless is subdued in nature and the question in my mind concerning his identity is answered when Pére Tabourot addresses him in familiar terms.

It seems that Pére Tabourot has known Monsieur Edmond Richer for many years, assisted at his baptism, taught him latin and arithmetic, and now the two are brought together once more.

What mischief have you wrought now, Edmond? I doubt his grace would summon you simply for putting tacks on seats today.

In truth, Pére, I cannot be certain, but I think certain views that I hold buzz uncomfortably in the ears of the bishops and cardinals.

Before he can explain further, the conversation is interrupted by the entrance of the duke-Bishop himself, a grand figure in heavy robes and jewelry.

Thank you for attending today, Pére Tabourot, Monsieur Richer. I am charged by the cardinals with hearing for myself your beliefs concerning the authorities of church and state, and determining whether yours is a case for the Holy Inquisition.

Even though Richer must have been expecting something of this kind, his eyebrows rise slightly. Here in France, the Inquisition is less of a threat, but it remains a threat, nonetheless.

My lord Bishop, I first read the tract De Corrupto Ecclesiae Statu as a student, and in the years since I first read it, my convictions have only been strengthened that the charges leveled against the Church are for the most part sound. It is my conviction that until the powers of Church and State are separated, the Church will continue to be plagued by the corruption of small minds hungry for power.

I find myself more than a little anxious for Monsieur Richer, presenting his views in such an outspoken way to someone who, more than perhaps anybody else, represents the combined power of Church and State. As the discussion continues Richer makes it clearer that his greatest concern is the interference of pontifical authority in political matters, and the atmosphere in the room becomes less strained.
By late afternoon the discussion has covered much more ground, extending far beyond matters theological, and after sharing a light meal at the table of the duke-Bishop, Charles asks Pére Tabourot if he would entertain us. He has among his household possessions a chest of viols, and another of recorders, and Pére Tabourot picks up and admires several of the instruments before balancing a viol against his shoulder and bowing a jaunty melody.

X:21
T:La Millanoise % title
T:The Girl from Milan
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
F G A2 G F G2 A B | A2 G F G2 A B A2 z2 | G4 F4 z2 G2 |
G A B2 A G A2 B c B2 | A G A2 B c B2 z4 | A4 G4 z2 F2 |]

X:19
T:La Traditore my fa morire % title
T:The traitor, my killer
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/2 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
|: d d d c B2 A | A G G F2 D | d d c B2 A | G G F G2 z :|
|: A A A c2 c | c c c d2 d | d d c B2 A | G G F G2 z :|

X:20
T:Si J'Ayme ou non % title
T:Whether I love or not
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
M:6/2 % meter
L:1/2 % length of shortest note
Q:360 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
A A A z A A | F G A z B B | A G A F z G |
F F E F z F | A G A F z F | D E F G z G |
A G A F z G | F F E F z F |]
These bare-bones melodies can scarcely do justice to the improvisations which he wove around them. All I can say is that before he set the viol down once more, our feet were tapping merrily.

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].

An Invitation to the Dance

Today (March 7th) is the feast of Saint Felicitas, patron saint of expectant mothers and here, in Langres, whose patron Saint Mammes is the saint of newborn babies, a special mass is being said for expectant mothers. Throughout the day there are various events including dancing (I am hoping several pavanes ¹ will be included for ladies in the more gravid condition).

Not being terribly familiar with sixteenth century dance (somebody once said I seemed to have eight left feet!), I thought it might be a good idea to look up any information I could find before leaving, and the best-known dance manual of the period which the library recommended was a French book, Orchésographie , by Thoinot Arbeau.

Let me quote below, the opening of his book, which takes the form of a conversation between a teacher and a visiting ex-pupil;

Capriol
I come to pay you my respects, Monsieur Arbeau. You do not remember me, for it is six or seven years since I left this town of Langres to go to Paris and thence to Orleans. I am an old pupil of yours, to whom you taught computation.

Arbeau
Indeed at first glance I failed to recognize you because you have grown up since then, and I feel sure that you have also broadened your mind by manliness and learning. What do you think of the study of law? I pursued it in bygone days myself.

Capriol
I find it a noble art and necessary in the conduct of affairs, but I regret that while in Orleans I neglected to learn fine manners, an art with which many scholars enriched themselves as an adjunct to their studies. For, on my return I have found myself in society, where, to put it briefly, I was tongue-tied and awkward, and regarded as little more than a block of wood.

Arbeau
You took consolation in the fact that the learned professors excused this shortcoming in recognition of the learning you had acquired.

Capriol
That is so, but I should like to have acquired skill in dancing during the hours between my serious studies, an accomplishment which would have rendered my company welcome to all.

Arbeau
This will be an easy thing by reading French books in order to sharpen your wit and by learning fencing, dancing and tennis that you may be an agreeable companion alike to ladies and gentlemen.

Capriol
I much enjoyed fencing and tennis and this placed me upon friendly terms with young men. But, without a knowledge of dancing, I could not please the damsels, upon whom, it seems to me, the entire reputation of an eligible young man depends.

Arbeau
You are quite right, as naturally the male and female seek one another and nothing does more to stimulate a man to acts of courtesy, honour and generosity than love. And if you desire to marry you must realize that a mistress is won by the good temper and grace displayed while dancing, because ladies do not like to be present at fencing or tennis, lest a splintered sword or a blow from a tennis ball should cause them injury. You remember Virgil's lines that tell of Turnus and his mistress, the beautiful Lavinia, daughter of King Latinus.

Illum turbat amor, figitque in virgine vultus:
Ardet in arma magis etc.

And there is more to it than this, for dancing is practised to reveal whether lovers are in good health and sound of limb, after which they are permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch and savour one another, thus to ascertain if they are shapely or emit an unpleasant odour as of bad meat. Therefore, from this standpoint, quite apart from the many other advantages to be derived from dancing, it becomes an essential in a well ordered society.

There's a recording of the Washerwomen's Bransle here, which gives a feel for the kind of music being played.

X:7
T:The Washerwomen's Bransle % title
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
O:Orchésographie % origin.
N:Thoinot Arbeau was the nom-de-plume of Maitre Jehan Tabourot
N:Cleric, of Langres
M:4/4 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:180 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
|: "C7" G G G G | "F" F F B2 | "C7"c B A G | "F" G F G2 :|
|:"C7" G d "G" B d | "C7"c B A "F" G :|
|:"C7" G G F2 | "F"G2 A2 | "F"A A A B | "C7"c B A G |
"C7"G G F2 | "F" G2 A2 | "C7"c B A G | "F" G F "C7" G2 :|]

X:4 % number
T:Belle qui tients ma vie % title
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
N:Thoinot Arbeau was an anagram of Jehan de Tabourot
N:A professor of mathematics
O:Orchésographie % origin.
S:Transcribed from an arrangement by Karl Aloritias.
M:C| % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name=Soprano sname=sop. % voice 1
V:2 name=Alto sname=alt.
V:3 name=Tenor sname=ten.
V:4 name=Bass sname=bass clef=bass
[V:1]|: G2 G ^F | G A B2 | B d c B | B A B2 :|
w:1.Bel-le qui tiens ma vi-e Cap-ti-ve dans tes yeulx,
w:2.Pour-quo fuis tu, mi-gnar-de, Si je suis pres de toi?
w:3.Tes beau-tes et ta gra-ces Et tes di-vins pro-pos
w:4.Mon am-e vou-lait e-tre Li-bre de pas-si-on
w:5.Ap-pro-che donc ma bell-e, Ap-pro-che toi mon bien,
w:6.Je meurs, mon An-ge-let-te, Je meurs en te bais-ant
w:7.Plu-tot on ver-ra l'on-de Con-tre-mont re-cul-er,
[V:2]|: D2 D D | D F F2 | F F E F | G F F2 :|
[V:3]|: B2 B A | B c d2 | d B G d | c c d2 :|
[V:4]|: G,2 G, D, | G, F, B,,2 | B,, B,, C, D, | _E, F, B,,2 :|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G F2 | D2 E/F/ G | G ^F G2 |
w:1.Qui m'as l'ame ra-vi-e D'un sour--ris gra-ci-eux,
w:2.Quand tes yeux je re-garde Je me_ perds de-dans moi,
w:3.Ont echauf-fé la gla-ce Qui me_ ge-lait les os,
w:4.Mais l'a-mour s'est fait maitre De mes_ af-fec-ti-ons
w:5.Ne me sois plus re-belle Puis-que mon co-eur est tien,
w:6.Ta bou-che tant dou-cette Va mon_ bien rav-is-sant
w:7.Et plu-tot l'oeil du monde Ce-s-se-ra de bru-ler,
[V:2]F2 F F | D _E D2| D2 C D | D D [D2=B,2]|
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|
[V:4]B,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G ^F2 | D2 =E/^F/ G | G ^F G2 |]
w:1.Viens tot me se-cou-rir Ou me_ fau-dra mou-rir.
w:2.Car tes per-fec-ti-on Chan-gent_ mes ac-ti-ons
w:3.Et ont rem-pli mon coeur D'une a--mou-reuse ar-deur.
w:4.Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon_ coeur et ma foi.
w:5.Pour mon mal ap-pais-er Don-ne_ moi un bai-ser.
w:6.A ce coup mes es-prits Sont tous_ d'a-mour e-pris.
w:7.Que l'a-mour qui m'e-point De-crois--se d'un seul point.
[V:2]_B,2 F F | D _E D2 | F2 E D | D D D2 |]
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|]
[V:4]G,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2 |]

French Lyric

English Translation

Belle, qui tiens ma vie captive dans tes yeux, Qui m’a l’âme ravie d’un souriz gracieux, Viens tôt me secourir, ou me faudra mourir. Pourquoi fuis-tu, mignarde, si je suis près de toy, Quand tes yeux je regarde, je me perds dedans moy, Car tes perfections, changent mes actions. Tes beautes et ta graces Et tes divins propos Ont echauffe la glace Qui me gelait les os, Et ont rempli mon coeur D'une amoureuse ardeur. Mon ame voulait etre Libre de passion, Mais l'amour s'est fait maitre De mes affections Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon coeur et ma foi. Approche donc ma belle, approche toy mon bien, Ne me sois plus rebelle, puisque mon coeur est tien, Pour mon mal appaiser, donne moy un baiser. Je meurs mon Angelette, je meurs en te baisant, Ta bouche tant doucette, va mon bien ravissant A ce coup mes esprits, sont tout d’amour épris. Plutôt on verra l’Onde, contre mont reculer Et plutôt l’œil du monde, cessera de brûler Que l’amour qui m ‘époint, décroisse d’un seul point.

Beautiful one who holds my life Captive in your eyes, Who has ravished my soul With a gracious smile. Come to my aid Or I must die. Why do you flee, dainty one, If I am near you? When I behold your eyes I am lost inside myself Because your perfection [so affects my behaviour]. Your beauty and your grace And your divine ways Have melted the ice Which was freezing my bones And have filled my heart With a loving ardour. My soul wanted to be Free of passion, But love became master Of my affections And put under its law My heart and my faith. Come near, my lovely one, Come near, my [dear one], Do not resist me further For my heart is yours, To relieve my ills Give me a kiss. I die, my Little Angel, I die when kissing Your mouth so sweet. My very lovely one, With that touch my spirits Are completely lifted in love. Sooner will waves Flow backwards And sooner will the moon Cease to shine Before the love which conquered me Wanes a single iota.

I thought it might be interesting to pay a visit to Monsieur Arbeau, but none of the contemporary people with whom I talked had heard of him, which puzzled me particularly, since his dance manual seems to be almost unique; nothing as comprehensive has survived. It wasn't until I returned to my own time that the mystery was solved. When I talked to the librarian about the difficulty of locating Monsieur Arbeau I learned that his name was an anagram of Jehan Tabourot, a canon and teacher of mathematics and law at the Cathedral in Langres. Perhaps because he felt that a manual on dance would be an undignified publication to be associated with a professor, or perhaps simply to maintain the integrity of his reputation as a teacher, he adopted this innocent subterfuge. And once again, I find that wherever I go in history, it seems as if there is no escaping the clerics!

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].

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Notes

1. Also known as the Cinque Pas, or "Sink-a Pace", for its five steps.