| Contents |
Court-song of sixteenth-century Scotland -- The ballatis preserved. The condition of poetry and part-song in Scotland in 1568 ; Bannatyne's 'Ballat buik' ; Thomas Wode's part-books, alias, 'The St Andrews psalter' ; 'The gude and godlie ballatis' -- The making of court-song. Maitland's ballat 'maid to the tone of the bankis of helecon' ; 'O God abufe', words and music by Sir John Fethy ; 'Richt soir opprest' ; 'Support your servand peirles paramour' ; 'For love of one' -- Alexander Scott (c. 1525-1590) and traditions of court-song, dance and ceremony. Scott reconsidered ; The music of the songs -- Musicians and poets at the court of James VI. The musicians. Andro Blakehall ; The Hudsons ; James Lauder -- Poets at court. The poet and the king ; 'Beloved Sanders' 1579-1582: the first phase of the 'writing game' ; 'His maiestie in Fascherie': the Ruthven raid, August 1582 - June 1583 ; The Castalian band 1583-1586 ; 'Our daggs in horns of ink' ; Montgomerie falls 'in displeasur' ; 'Against the Protestants with sword and song' -- The poet, the cherrie and the king: a reading of 'the cherrie and the slae'. Dream-poem ; Encounter with love ; The vision of the two trees and their fruits ; The contention of the voices ; The poem perfyted ; The poem reaches print -- Montgomerie and music. Montgomerie's practice in the making of court-songs ; Sonnets as song ; The tuichestane is musique: practice and theory ; Looking to England: the dance-song tradition ; The helicon/cherrie stanza ; 'Melancholie, gryt deput of despair' -- Younger Castalians: a court-tradition of poetry and song-making continues. Montgomerie's young disciple ; An unclaimed repertory of Castalian songs and sonnets ; A second 'younger Castalian' ; Castalian continuity: W. M. 'and some of his ain' -- From court to castle. Sir William Mure of Rowallan 1594-1657 ; The Rowallan music-books -- The last Castalian: Sir Robert Ayton. Robert Ayton and the late Castalians ; From Castalian to cavalier ; Ayton as song-writer: a northern tradition ; Songs of the Jacobean and Caroline court -- Epilogue. Courtly song in seventeenth-century Scotland -- Appendices. Life-records of John Fethy, Sir John Fethy (a priest) and Dom. John Fethy, (capellanus) ; Life-records of James Lauder A and James Lauder B ; Documents on Alexander Montgomerie ; The nine muses' dance ; Sources of the music. |
| Abstract |
A series of linked studies of the character, origins and history of the court-song of Renaissance Scotland, with substantial critical discussion of poets, musicians and court culture generally. The author believes that the song repertory of Scotland in the sixteenth century, tlhough unfamiliar even to scholars, is rewarding poetically and musically both in itself and for the part it plays in the Renaissance culture of Western Europe. The author presents here the result of a decade of pioneer study. The poems have never before been studied as songs, nor have their links been properly established with ceremony, costume, dance and the pastimes of courtiers. The author does all this; and in addition she isolates for special study the work of two important poets, Alexander Scott and Alexander Montgomerie. She also proposes identities for other hitherto unknown song-writers of the period. The author adds to the value of her work by her constant preoccupation with period and background. She sets herself to answer such questions as: who made the songs and how were they presented? Was the music more important than the words? Did the singers act or dance in performance? Were songs a central part of the life of the court? Her answers illuminate a world about which we have hitherto known almost nothing. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-273) and index. |
| LCCN | 69013793 |
| ISBN | 052107181X |
