The English Viol

English Anonymous (Composer), Lumley Books Anonymous (Composer), Alfonso [2] Ferrabosco (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Antony Holborne (Composer), William [Composer] Byrd (Composer), John Dowland (Composer), Orlando Gibbons (Composer), William Lawes (Composer), Matthew Locke (Composer), Henry Purcell (Composer), Alfonso [1] Ferrabosco (Composer), Michael Chance (Performer), Fretwork (Performer, Orchestra), Red Byrd (Performer), Catherine Bott (Performer), Jeremy Budd (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Michael Chance, Fretwork, Red Byrd, Catherine Bott, Jeremy Budd
• Orchestra: Fretwork
• Composer: English Anonymous, Lumley Books Anonymous, Alfonso [2] Ferrabosco, Anonymous, Antony Holborne, et al.
• Audio CD (March 14, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics Imports
• ASIN: B00000DO0R
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,240 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #45 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Songs & Lieder > Madrigals
  • #60 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Partsongs
  • #98 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Baroque (c.1600-1750) > Composers > Purcell, Henry

Track Listings

1. The Dark Is My Delight - Jeremy Budd

2. Lumley Books (MB Vol.XLIV Nos.76 & 104): Allemande And Galliard

3. In Nomine (VdGS No.2)

4. In Paradise - Michael Chance

5. Pavan And Galliard (LPM 41 & 42)

6. Christe Redemptor

7. In Nomine (VdGS No.4)

8. Ah Silly Soul - Michael Chance

9. Lachrimae Gementes

10. Semper Dowland Semper Dolens

11. M. Bucton His Galiard

12. Pavan And Alman (VdGS Nos.2 & 1)

13. Fant No.2 (VdGS No.2)

14. Fant (VdGS No.4)

15. The Silver Swan - Jeremy Budd

16. Fant (VdGS No.5)

17. The Cry Of London, Part II

18. Fant 'On The Playnesong' in g (VdGS No.69)

19. Gather Ye Rosebads - Catherine Bott

20. Aire in g (VdGS No.86)

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting the Record Straight, June 12, 2005

By 

Leslie Richford (Selsingen, Lower Saxony) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The English Viol (Audio CD)

To put the record straight, this CD does NOT contain any violin music at all. Most of the pieces are viol consorts, which is something completely different: Fretwork is a seven-player ensemble in which all the musicians play differently-sized viols or violas da gamba, this instrument belonging, despite its cello-like appearance, to a completely different family of instruments from the violin. The CD is one of the very few samplers in the Virgin Veritas Edition, being taken from several CDs that Fretwork published between 1988 and 1994. The tracks are in more or less chronological order, beginning with music from the age of Elizabeth I (reigned from 1558 to 1603) and tracing the development of the typically English viol consort through to the end of the 17th century when it experienced its climax and swansong in the person of no less than Henry Purcell, a pupil of Locke who is also represented here. The six vocal numbers here (two solos each by boy treble Jeremy Budd and countertenor Michael Chance, one by lovely soprano Catherine Bott and the second part of the "Cries of London" by Red Byrd, a mixed vocal ensemble)provide something of a contrast and are definitely not meant to be the main item on the disc. Listening to consort music requires an appreciation of this kind of music and of the instruments, the CD booklet could have been more helpful here - it gives no details of the instruments and only very vague details of who is playing when. But the sound is gorgeous, and anyone who would like to get to know this kind of music is encouraged to give this a try. Or, of course, you could try to get hold of the original Fretwork albums from which these sampler tracks were taken. In the meantime, their recordings of Byrd and Dowland have been re-released at budget price.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sample, or a Taste Test, November 29, 2007

By 

Giordano Bruno - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The English Viol (Audio CD)

This is a sampler of music from the earlier recordings of the ensemble Fretwork, the most highly acclaimed viola da gamba consort of our times. It includes polyphonic fantasies for gamba quartet and quintet, as well as selections from the curious repertoire of music for voices and gambas, such as the fairly well-known "Cries of London", which blend street sounds and ballad elements with elegant gamba counterpoint. If you're unacquanted with any of the late English Renaissance music for viola da gamba, this would be a good starter CD. Otherwise, I'd suggest going straight to a search through the recordings of Tye, Locke, Lawes, Holborne, etc. by two ensembles: FRETWORK and PHANTASM

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Cryes of London oversight, October 6, 2005

By 

Mike (Arlington, VA. USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The English Viol (Audio CD)

The edition of this CD is surely an abridged one, because I used to have the original edition which included "The Crye of London", Parts 1 AND 2. This edition only has part 2, which is a real shame, because the part 1 is just wonderful, although badly miked. The voices sound so much like real street characters (my favorite - "Periwinkles, quick, quick quick!"). Makes you think of "Who Will Buy" from the London cast of "Oliver". The rest of the CD is quite sublime, from the melancholy "Singing Swans" to the fantasias and madrigals.

The perfect record to listen to while reading "Man's Illegal Life" by Keith Heller, which I've reviewed in Amazon books.