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Cacophony!

Reimagining Historical Voices

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    Tim Braithwaite

    A Comparison Between Cathedral Singing and the Singing of David’s Psalms (1644)

    Davids Psalms sung in our English Meeter differ much from Cathedrall singing, which is so abominable, in which is sung almost every...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Thomas Morley Describing a Hypothetical Competition in Improvised Singing (1597)

    ‘When I learned descant [1] from my master Bold he, seeing me so inclined and willing to learn, always had me in his company, and because...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Tosi on the Excesses of Modern (1723) Singers, and the Patience of the Waiting Orchestra

    ‘§ 5. Every Air has (at least) three Cadences, that are all three final. Generally speaking, the Study of the Singers of the present...

    Tim Braithwaite

    John Crompton on Suitable Voices for the Countertenor Part (1778)

    ‘Suitable voices for the middle, or counter part are rather difficult to find; but let no-one, for that reason, attempt it with a feigned...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Isaac Nathan’s Annotations on a Handel Aria and the Swelling and Dying of the Voice

    ‘The preceding examples receive their colouring from the discrimination of the singer; but a still nicer task remains for him to execute,...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Domenico Corri (1810) on the First Lesson and how to Sing Major/Minor Semitones

    ‘Progressive rules for daily practice proportioned to the age and ability of Pupils: The intention of this Exercise is to acquire the art...

    Tim Braithwaite

    A Description of ‘The Honorable Entertainement Gieuen to the Queenes Maiestie’ in 1591

    ‘In the pinnace were three Virgins, which with their Cornets played Scottish Gigs, made three parts in one. There was also in the saide...

    Tim Braithwaite

    John Curwen Describes a Rehearsal of the Boys at St. Pauls, London in 1891

    ‘The Cathedral bell is striking two, and in the passage boys scud to and fro shouting “Practice!" and racing to their places in the...

    Tim Braithwaite

    With Chains of Gold? Thomas Morley describing the soundworld of English liturgical singing (1597)

    This kind [the motet] of all others which are made on a ditty [text], requireth most art, and moveth and causeth most strange effects in...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Thomas Robinson (1603) on ‘Passionate Play’

    ‘Now you shall have a general rule to grace it, as with passionate play, and relishing it: and note that the longer the time is of a...

    Tim Braithwaite

    John Arnold on Collective, Florid Psalm Singing (1761)

    Of the Several Graces Used in Music: The first and most principle grace, necessary to be learned, is the trill or shake; that is, to move...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Lascia Ch’io Pianga (as?) Sung by Signora Isabella in the Opera of Rinaldo

    The extract below from William Babbel’s ‘Suits of the most Celebrated Lessons’ (1717) shows a transcription for keyboard of the famous...

    Tim Braithwaite

    John Earle on ‘The Common Singing-Men in Cathedral Churches’ (1628)

    ‘The common singing-men in cathedral churches are a bad society, and yet a company of good fellows, that roar deep in the quire, deeper...

    Tim Braithwaite

    The London Gregorian Choral Association Remembering Church Music in the Early Nineteenth Century

    ‘Many of us can remember (indeed in some few places it still exists) the old village choir, assisted by the double bass, bassoon, wheezy...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Comparing Tosi, Galliard, and Agricola on the Articulation of Passaggi

    Tosi describes two main types of articulation for the performance of fast notes, the ‘marked’ (‘battuto’) and ‘glided’ (‘scivolo.’)

    Tim Braithwaite

    A nineteenth-century description of English choral performance, as recalled by lay clerk J.V. Cox

    “Everything was done in the most florid style, viz., grace notes, cadenzas, 'shakes' (single, double, and triple), while time was...

    Tim Braithwaite

    Desiderius Erasmus on Church Singing (1516)

    ‘Not content even with these things, we have brought into the churches some kind of laboursome and theatrical music...

     

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