| GREEN MAN PRESS - EARLY MUSIC EDITIONS | ||
| William Croft (1678-1727) |
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| Cro 1 | With Noise of Cannon : from the Ode. a song for bass, 2 violins and continuo The Ode With Noise of Cannon is a substantial piece scored for trumpet, soloists, chorus and orchestra, of which this present edition gives the opening vocal number, scored for bass with two violins. Croft’s Ode With Noise of Cannon clearly also refers to the Peace of Utrecht, but was composed, along with the Ode Laurus Cruentas, as part of his submission for the degree of Doctor of Music at Oxford, which also required the performance of the works submitted. This performance took place at the Sheldonian Theatre on Monday July the 13th 1713. Such was the success of this performance, that a second was called for for the following Monday. On Blow’s death in 1708 William Croft succeeded him not only as the organist of Westminster Abbey, but as Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal and Composer to the Chapel Royal. Thus he was, until Handel’s rise to fame, the most eminent musician in the land. His main duties as Composer were to provide anthems and services for the Chapel Royal. The composition of odes for New Year’s Day and the sovereign’s birthday was the responsibility of John Eccles, who had been appointed ‘Master of Musick’ in 1701. It appears however, that during the period 1712 to 1715 Croft and Handel were preferred over Eccles. Thus Handel was commissioned to write a birthday ode for Queen Anne, and later a Te Deum and Jubilate celebrating the Peace of Utrecht, 1713. In the same year Croft wrote a Birthday Ode for Queen Anne, and later another for King George. Later, Croft had the two odes published in a handsome volume entitled Musicus Apparatus Academicus. This was probably a ‘vanity’ publication, but Croft attributed its production to his friends’ insistence. In his introductory remarks, after acknowledging gratitude “to that Famous University for the favourable Reception they [the odes] there met with”, he goes on to say “From that time [of their performance] forward they have lain by neglected, as having done their Work and answered the end for which they were Compos’d, and had still done so, had not the Importunity of some Friends…..prevailed with me to make them publick.” It is claimed that, as a result, this is the earliest example of a doctoral submission to survive in its entirety. |
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| Cro 2 | Songs with Violins for bass, 2 violins and continuo
This edition contains two songs with instruments by Croft, collected together with works by Jeremiah Clarke and others, in a manuscript in the Tenbury collection. In fact, although the first is ascribed at the end to "Mr William Croft" the second has no title and is anonymous. The first song, How charming is Beauty, which at first sight appears rather innocuous, has in fact a sensuous, almost Bacchanalian flavour, and advocates music as the food of love. The second, Lost is my Love, is a more substantial piece in the tradition of the 'mad ' song, sung by a desperate lover. It lacks the kaleidoscopic changes of mood of the best examples of this genre, such as Purcell's Let the dreadfull Engines, but contains intriguing changes in pace and rhythm. The text is also set by William Corbett in his Op. 7 cantata, published in about 1725. However both this and the Tenbury MS contain an obscurity in the meaning of one line, possibly due to a corruption of the original text, whose author is unknown. While this edition is the sole responsibility of the editor, a grateful acknowledgement must be made to Dr Peter Holman for bringing these two songs to light in the first place, (when he prepared them for a recording by David Thomas), and for his generous help in making his material available to the editor. |
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| Cro 3 | By Purling Streams for soprano, oboe (or flute) and continuo Croft’s
main output was sacred music, and apart from some celebratory Odes, he
did not produce a great deal of secular music.
This 'Song with a Hautboy' is one of three songs with instruments by Croft,
collected together with works by Jeremiah Clarke and others in the manuscript
in the Tenbury collection referred to above. |
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| Cro 4 | Ye tuneful numbers for alto/countertenor, 2 violins and continuo This work is among songs and anthems
with instruments by several composers collected together in the manuscript
Add. MS. 31461 in the British Library, to whom thanks are due for making
this available for study. Ye tuneful numbers was prepared by
Maurice Bevan for performance during the celebrations marking the tercentenary
of Croft’s birth in 1978. It is Croft’s only work having a
lengthy introductory symphony with a slow-fast–slow structure. It
is an intriguing work, with the ‘affect’ expressed by the
use of long vocal melismas and discord, reminiscent of Purcell. |
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| Cro 5 | A Hymn to Divine Musick for soprano and continuo The second edition of Henry Playford’s second book of Harmonia Sacra of 1714 is described as a collection of ‘DIVINE HYMNS/AND/ DIALOGUES:/ WITH/A THOROW-BASS for the Theorbo-Lute,/ Bass-Viol, Harpsichord, or Organ./ Composed by the Best MASTERS……very much Enlarg’d and Corrected’ and claims ‘three excellent Anthems, never before Printed, by Mr Croft, Dr Blow and Mr J. Clark’. Before this however, Henry Playford had published in 1700 ‘Two Divine Hymns: being a Suppliment to the second Book of Harmoniae Sacrae’. These works are ‘Blest be those sweet Regions by Mr Jer. Clark’ and ‘ A Hymn on Divine Musick set by Mr. William Crofts.’ Thanks are due to the British Library for making a copy of this volume available for study. This exquisite song shows Croft at
his very best, setting the text with sensitivity, and an elegant economy
of effect.
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