This piece was transcribed from
A Plaine & Easy Introduction to Practicall Musicke (1597). With such a title, way back in 1980, I thought this would be an ideal piece for the young beginners that made up the
The Schwanewede Recorder Consort. Despite the enthusiastic efforts of the players involved, it proved to be several numbers to large for the young consort and overly ambitious to say the least. We performed it publicly just once to delight our parents, friends and relatives. For me it was something of a nightmare as all five voices went their various ways in complete disregard of the others. Here Morley's thing of beauty dissolved in into an ugly disharmony but the children smiled brightly and even some of the parents appeared to like it and even applauded after the cacophony died down. Died down is exactly the correct description since each voice finished at its own pace. That was in 1980 - I have never attempted it since!
This item shares a place in
Deus Omnipotens.