John Blow (1649-1728)

John Blow has been described as “the doyen of the school of English musicians of which Henry Purcell was the most brilliant.”(1)

While Blow is chiefly famous for his operatic masque Venus and Adonis, and for his many church anthems, he wrote well over 100 secular songs, duets and trios, with and without instrumental settings; many of them appeared in Amphion Anglicus, published by Henry Playford in 1700. Others had previously been published in song collections like The Theater of Music, a substantial collection of songs by many contemporary composers, published in four volumes over the period 1685 – 1687 by Henry Playford and Robert Carr.

It has been said of John Blow that “during his lifetime his renown approached that of Purcell …..his position as the most important composer among Purcell’s contemporaries is unquestionable; his true stature approaches that of Purcell himself more closely than has been generally acknowledged.”(2)

As Peter Holman has pointed out, “2008, the 300th anniversary of the death of John Blow, is a good moment to reassess the music of an important English composer.” (3)

(1)Shaw, Watkins: ‘Blow, John’ in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, London, 1980.
(2) Wood, Bruce: ‘Blow, John, §3: Works’ Grove Music Online (Accessed 16 February 2008)
(3) Holman, Peter: John Blow 1649-1708, in NEMA, The Early Music Yearbook 2008, Ruxbury Publications, Hebden Bridge, 2008

Two Songs with Violins

1. Septimius and Acme
2. Go Perjur’d Man
for soprano, bass, two violins and continuo

These two duets appear in Amphion Anglicus, i (1700). The first, Septimius and Acme, has two verses, each with a brief instrumental introduction, for the voices, with little or no participation by the violins. These are each followed by a lively chorus in triple time with the violins providing a rich harmonic texture. The subject is pastoral love, optimistic and lyrical. The second song, Go Perjur’d Man, is in two parts each with repeats, and written full throughout. The tone is of bitter recrimination, and the music matches this with energetic and dissonant writing.

sample page - blo1.PDF

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Septimnius and Acme A Dialogue

for two sopranos, bass, two violins and continuo

This duet is taken from vol.1 of The Theatre of Music in 1685. It is therfore an earlier version of the duet from Amphion Anglicus - see Blo 1 above. Unlike the later version, the present piece is is set for three singers, while still being termed a dialogue. It starts with a Symphony in three sections, and like its revision, consissts of two verses for two voices. Each of these is followed by a chorus, which in this piece uses three voices. The second verse is also followed by a brief ritornello. The settingof this pastoral piece is similar to that of the later work.

sample page - blo2.PDF

Poor Celadon   [Loving above himself]

for alto/countertenor, two violins and continuo

This song is taken from Amphion Anglicus. It admirably shows Blows characteristics of harmonic daring, and beautiful writing for the voice.

sample page - blo3.PDF