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Henry VIII: Pastyme with good companye (), Original Pronunciation 0:06 Intro: INSTRUMENTS A (recorder, lute, viol, percussion) 0:38 Verse 1: VOCALS A (a cappella) 1:08 Verse 2: VOCALS A INSTRUMENTS A 1:39 Verse 3: VOCALS A INSTRUMENTS A 2:10 Interlude: INSTRUMENTS B (recorder, shawm, 2 sackbuts) 2:40 Refrain: VOCALS B (background choir) INSTRUMENTS B ---------- PROGRAM NOTES: The song “Pastyme with good companye“ (pastime with good company) was the signature anthem composed by the young and vivacious King Henry VIII. He wrote this song during his early years as a newly crowned monarch in a time of relative frivolity and joy at court - a decade or more before darker days would descend upon his English realm, Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry's inner circle and the Catholic Church in England. “Pastyme“ has a simple melody line (unlike some other more intricate pieces like Taundernaken), an unwavering 6/8 rhythm and 3 part homophony. In the “Henry VIII Songbook“ the lyrics of “Pastyme“ were written out in full on one page for all three vocal parts (cantus, tenore and bassus). Therefore it is likely that the manuscript was intended for performance. I interjected 4 variations of the theme using both soft and loud Renaissance instruments based on Henry's estate listing of his collection at the time of his death. -------------------- Lyrics (in Late Middle English orthography) Pastyme wt good (com)panye I loue & schall vntyll I dye gruche who lust but none denye so god be plesyd thus leve wyll I for my pastance hunt syng & daunce my hart is sett all goodly sport for my comfort who schall me let youthe must haue som daliance off good or yll som pastance. Company me thynkes then best all thoughts & fansys to deiest. ffor Idillnes is cheff mastres of vices all then who can say. but myrth and play is best of all. Company wt honeste is vertu vices to ffle. Company is good & ill but ev’ry man hath hys fre wyll. the best ensew the worst eschew my mynde schalbe. vertu to vse vice to refuce thus schall I vse me. -------------------- Illustrations: 1. “Pastyme with good companye“ cantus part, Henry VIII, . 31922, c1513 2. Gallery musicians possibly at Henry's court (with detail of sackbut, shawm and cornetto or recorder), Hans Holbein the Younger, c1524. 3. “Pastyme“, detail of cantus line, Henry VIII 4. Westminster Tournament roll, detail of king's trumpets, 1511 5. Coronation chair (upon which Henry Tudor as well as his offspring were crowned) 6. Portraits of a young Henry VIII (c1520) & of Queen Catherine of Aragon 7. Concert of angels with details of wind instruments and singers, Tilman Riemenschneider, c1503 8. Great Hall, Hampton Court, Henry's palace of music and other entertainment 9. Another view of Hampton Court Palace, Great Hall 10. Lion statue at the front entrance of Hampton Court Palace, created during Henry's reign -- representing the English crown. -------------------- NOTES ON THE RECORDING: This soundtrack was created using VOCALOID 4 (Yamaha). The completed “vocal“ file was edited with Audacity to interject reverb. In this version, I paid closer attention to the pronunciation of Late Middle English (which was in the midst of the Great Vowel Shift during Henry's life). For example, “I“ and “my“ were pronounced “ey“ and “may“ (rhyming with hey) in contract to “əi“ in Shakespeare's time. “Time“ was likely pronounced “tame.“ The R sound was more rhotic as in modern-day American English and not silent like in British “Received“ Pronunciation. I also added a soprano voice to double the countertenor in the final repeat, since the middle line was likely the main melody part.
