Lucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to explore the life & music of 16th Century composer Robert Parsons, who died 450 years ago this year, at the young age of 37.
Robert Parsons - Sun 2nd Oct
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by ardcarp View PostLucie Skeaping is joined by Professor Magnus Williamson of Newcastle University to explore the life & music of 16th Century composer Robert Parsons, who died 450 years ago this year, at the young age of 37.
-
-
Originally posted by oddoneout View PostWas it young for those days? Looking forward to this but wondering how much "music in the background" there'll be...
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by oddoneout View PostWas it young for those days? Looking forward to this but wondering how much "music in the background" there'll be...
"The average life expectancy at birth was only 35... However many Tudor people died while they were still children... between one third and one half died before the age of about 16..."
So lucky to make it past childhood, but the luck didn't hold?
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Mal View PostDon't ask us, ask Google! OK I'll do it:
"The average life expectancy at birth was only 35... However many Tudor people died while they were still children... between one third and one half died before the age of about 16..."
So lucky to make it past childhood, but the luck didn't hold?
Comment
-
-
Tallis lived to 80 and Byrd to 83, so although a younger death would clearly have been more common in the 16th century, it could still be considered unfortunate. His epitaph in a Dow partbook demonstrates he died in his prime:
Parsons, you who were so great in the springtime of life,
how great you would have been in the autumn, had death not come.
Comment
-
-
Thanks, cat. 'In his prime' settles it for me. I think there have always been unusual people who had it in them to live to great ages. Arthur Rubinstein smoked strong cigars and drank spirits all his life, doubtless in defiance of medical advice, whereas Jana Novotna, who lived a very healthy life...
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by MickyD View PostDid this episode suffer the same cruel fate as the previous week, namely that ghastly EMS advertising spot in the middle of the programme?
Comment
-
-
about 20 mins just before the last piece Parsons's Ave Maria - it was such a bl*dy stupid and insensitive insertion - if thought necessary put at the end of the programme but not in the middle breaking any concentrated listening to what I guess is normally seen/heard as a niche programme. But as previous poster said the BBC has descended so far that it is just amazing that these 'specialist interest' programmes have survived until now and not been replaced by a 'Sunday Smoothie' or similar junk.
Comment
-
-
For me the finest Parsons item was Pour down, you pow'rs devine sung by Michael Chance (at his best) with Fretwork. The choral pieces, most of which I'm ashamed to say, I didn't know (apart from the Ave Maria of course) were very much of the Tallis ilk. Fine though the consorts were, the delivery became a bit 'notey' and one longed for more limear singing. So often I'm reminded of George Guest's perhaps over-stated view that no two adjacent notes should be sung the same way.
I agree with all the posts above which abhor the BBC advert in the middle of EMS. Totally absurd and inappropriate. May I urge Forumistas to email the programme and complain! I have already.
theearlymusicshow@bbc.co.ukLast edited by ardcarp; 07-10-22, 22:28.
Comment
-
Comment