Fayrfax 500

[ardcarp]

EM buffs like me won't miss this one...should be good, even if producer jargon ('unpack') makes me shudder


Robert Fayrfax - 500th Anniversary


One of the most influential composers during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, Robert Fayrfax died 500 years ago this year. Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to unpack the details of Fayrfax's life and his extraordinary music.

[Bryn]

EM buffs like me won't miss this one...should be good, even if producer jargon ('unpack') makes me shudder


Robert Fayrfax - 500th Anniversary


One of the most influential composers during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, Robert Fayrfax died 500 years ago this year. Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to unpack the details of Fayrfax's life and his extraordinary music.

[edited to sort link.]

[oddoneout]

EM buffs like me won't miss this one...should be good, even if producer jargon ('unpack') makes me shudder


Robert Fayrfax - 500th Anniversary


One of the most influential composers during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, Robert Fayrfax died 500 years ago this year. Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to unpack the details of Fayrfax's life and his extraordinary music.

I would have expected to see "unpick", but perhaps Fayrfax's life wasn't so much a complicated knitted jumper as a trunk of papers and personal effects ...

[Bryn]

I would have expected to see "unpick", but perhaps Fayrfax's life wasn't so much a complicated knitted jumper as a trunk of papers and personal effects ...

Isle drink to that.

[AuntDaisy]

I wonder if there'll be any new finds, like the "Anima Christe" on the 5 Masses CD set?
Hopefully The Cardinall's Musick will dominate the extracts.

[jayne lee wilson]

"Unpack" isn't really "jargon" by any usual definition is it? Which is the over-use of specialised i.e technical language, with or without a conscious attempt to exclude or condescend.

One oft-quoted definition of "Unpack" is: "analyse (something) into its component elements".

"Unpack" is simply metaphorical, drawn from the physical act of unpacking. Quite useful really, especially in complex artistic/intellectual/biographical contexts...

[Bryn]

I wonder if there'll be any new finds, like the "Anima Christe" on the 5 Masses CD set?
Hopefully The Cardinall's Musick will dominate the extracts.

Or find it as a lossless download, e.g. at https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/fa.../0074362503532

[AuntDaisy]

Or find it as a lossless download, e.g. at https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/fa.../0074362503532

Thanks Bryn, but I haven't tried Qobuz yet... and I already have 1-5 Fayrfax & the Masses on CD

[AuntDaisy]

Interesting so far, but I'm a bit miffed there's no TCM (yet). I was hoping for a bit of Missa Albanus.

Please, no talking over extracts (he said churlishly).

[AuntDaisy]

Oh well, at least Missa Albanus got a look in, as did TCM if briefly.

It's interesting to compare today's programme with the 2014 "Composer Profile: Robert Fayrfax". Fewer pieces (& longer extracts?), almost all The Cardinall's Musick.

Composer Profile: Robert Fayrfax
The Early Music Show, Sun 29 Jun 2014 14:00
Lucie Skeaping celebrates the life and music of English composer Robert Fayrfax who flourished in the early 1500s and was born 550 years ago. More of Fayrfax's music survives than of any other English composer of the period, largely due to the existence of two large Tudor choir books in which his works were collected. Lucie Skeaping takes a look at one of these choir books housed in Lambeth Palace library with the help of musicologist David Skinner and plays recordings of some of the music featured in it.

Somewhat musing; Choir: Alamire. Director: David Skinner.; CCL : CDG 1148, track 5.
Gloria from Missa O quam glorifica (excerpt); Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 142, track 2.
Agnus Dei from Missa Tecum principium; Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 145, track 5.
Eterne laudis lilium (excerpt); Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 160, track 8.
Eterne laudis lilium (excerpt); Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 160, track 8.
Sanctus from Missa O bone Jesu (excerpt); Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 184, track 4.
Maria plena virtute (second part from 'Dixit Jesus'); Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.; ASV : CD GAU 145, track 9.

[oddoneout]

Interesting so far, but I'm a bit miffed there's no TCM (yet). I was hoping for a bit of Missa Albanus.

Please, no talking over extracts (he said churlishly).

It's not churlish, it's a perfectly reasonable request. It irritates me in the context of such a programme as it seems disrespectful to the subject and is also distracting - trying to hear what's in the background at the same time as concentrating on what is being said. It isn't a Jess Gillam type slot, it's supposed to be for those who want rather more depth to their listening. Sadly I suspect the infection is now well on the way to being firmly established and affecting previous safe havens.

[ardcarp]

Please, no talking over extracts

Please, please, please. Mind you, the more we plead, the less likely 'the management' will stop it.

I've always found Fayrfax an absolutely fascinating composer, and have loved singing his music from time to time. OVPP performances work less well for me, as there are textual variations in many works eg quite lengthy passages for two voice parts which contrast with, say 5 or 6 parts. There is not sufficient variation in texture in OVPP performances.

Whilst historical and biographical details were interesting, I was less than enthralled with some musical extracts....no names.

[Nick Armstrong]

It's not churlish, it's a perfectly reasonable request. It irritates me in the context of such a programme as it seems disrespectful to the subject and is also distracting - trying to hear what's in the background at the same time as concentrating on what is being said. It isn't a Jess Gillam type slot, it's supposed to be for those who want rather more depth to their listening. Sadly I suspect the infection is now well on the way to being firmly established and affecting previous safe havens.

Yes it got on my whatsits in the Earth/Water &c. episodes but I hoped it was because of the more pictorial / impressionistic nature of those programmes. Annoying that it seems permanent now. How can they possibly justify talking over the music we’re supposed to be listening to?

Another nail in the coffin.

[AuntDaisy]

Yes it got on my whatsits in the Earth/Water &c. episodes but I hoped it was because of the more pictorial / impressionistic nature of those programmes. Annoying that it seems permanent now. How can they possibly justify talking over the music we’re supposed to be listening to?

Another nail in the coffin.

Yes, very annoying. If they had fewer / longer pieces of music, perhaps it would be less of a temptation to the presenter(s).

Even more worrying is the trend for cross-over music... soon to appear heavily on TearJerker.

Under "See all 6 formats & editions", Amazon listed a Vinyl version of the Fairfax 3 (Missa Albanus), which turned out to be a little-known collaboration between The Cardinall's Musick & Donna Summer - a snip at £5.40 second hand.

[oddoneout]

Yes, very annoying. If they had fewer / longer pieces of music, perhaps it would be less of a temptation to the presenter(s).

Even more worrying is the trend for cross-over music... soon to appear heavily on TearJerker.

Under "See all 6 formats & editions", Amazon listed a Vinyl version of the Fairfax 3 (Missa Albanus), which turned out to be a little-known collaboration between The Cardinall's Musick & Donna Summer - a snip at £5.40 second hand.

The mind boggles... On the one hand there is the "wider audience" argument, and presumably the cross subsidy from crossover is welcome? I'm not as bothered by such experiments as are some and don't have apoplexy when they turn up on R3, but that's on the basis it only happens very infrequently. The concern as always is the wedge thin end effect.
Says something about the weird and wonderful things people get up to that I didn't at first realise this was an Amazon mistake and it wasn't until I tried to find out more that the penny dropped...