A Lbertus Bryne

Deux-Elles AlbertusBryne KeyboardMusic TerenceCharlston Harpsichord Organ Spinet musical employment in church. The majority of his keyboards, valued at £30 in total. His son Albertus ence. Nicholas Harrison mistook the D major suite Albertus Bryne surviving keyboard music is designed for domestic continued to draw his father’s salary at St. Paul’s to be the work of John Blow, Bryne’s successor at Keyboard Music rather than church use and probably originates and an organist of the same name, though not Westminster Abbey while in the eighteenth century from this time. Like many of his colleagues he may necessarily the same person, is listed as the organist William Walond compiled an anthology in which Thus times do shift,—each thing his turn does hold; have sought refuge by travelling west perhaps visit- at Dulwich College and All Hallows Barking by the Bryne’s A minor suite appears (anonymously) New things succeed, as former things grow old. ing Royalist strongholds such as Oxford, Hereford Tower during the 670s. alongside music of Blow and Purcell. Robert Herrick and Ludlow or the West Country. He was certainly ‘Ceremonies for Candlemas Eve’ in London during the Protectorate as John Play- Had he lived only a few more years and played an Three of Bryne’s six suites have the standard three from Hesperides (648) ford’s Musicall Banquet (65) lists him amongst active role in Restoration London posterity might movement format, almain, corant and saraband (or War and Fire the ‘excellent and able Masters’ who taught organ well have treated Bryne and his keyboard music in the case of the F major suite ayre, corant and and virginals there. with a little more respect. As it is, his music is largely saraband) while the other three have an additional Born around 621, Albertus Bryne lived through forgotten. This is a great pity since its attractive and fourth movement, a jig almain. A further five pieces the turbulent years of the English Civil War, the By the Restoration his reputation was well estab- well crafted qualities were greatly appreciated in its in Musicks Handmaide are grouped into two sets Commonwealth and the first few years of Charles lished. John Batchiler’s biography of the talented own day and to judge by the surviving copies, well but could also be played as a single suite. II’s reign as restored monarch. He was trained as a and greatly admired viol player Susanna Perwich, into the 8th century. Like the keyboard music of chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London by John entitled The Virgin’s Pattern (66), relates that his near contemporaries such as Locke, John Moss The three core dances—almain, corant, saraband— Tomkins whom he succeeded as organist in about Bryne taught at the Perwich family school in and John Roberts, Bryne’s suites occupy a unique exemplify many of the characteristics typical of the 638. Hackney, gave harpsichord lessons to Susanna’s position between the ‘Golden Age’ of the English later 7th century. The almains are more densely sister and describes him ‘Mr. Albertus Brian, that Virginalists and the highly individual voices of constructed than earlier examples and combine His professional life suffered several unfortunate famously velvet fingered Organist.’ Matthew Locke English Baroque at the end of the century. It is broken-chords with expressive figurations, both setbacks. He lost his post at St. Paul’s Cathedral considered Bryne a good composer to be compared hoped that this recording and the forthcoming edi- probably derived from lute playing. The examples twice, first when services ceased due to the out- favourably with Bull and Orlando Gibbons while tion of the music will help to redress three centuries in A and D minor are particularly fine and like break of the rebellion in 64 and then again after Anthony Wood described him as ‘an excellent of neglect. the A minor saraband, gain a certain pathos from the Great Fire of London in 666. In fact he was musician’. In May 66 Bryne petitioned Charles continuous style brisé and the subtle use of chro- gainfully employed at St. Paul’s for only eight or II to be made an organist in the Chapel Royal but Jigs and Almains maticism. The corants are lively with short phrases, nine years despite nominally holding the post from there is no record of his appointment so we must playful rhythms and jazzy syncopations. the age of 7 until he was about 45. After the Great assume his request was unsuccessful. Albertus Bryne was the leading composer of Fire, he became organist of Westminster Abbey in harpsichord music before Locke and one of the The jig-almain is a curious amalgam of two dance succession to Christopher Gibbons but only for the Bryne died on December 668 in Westminster earliest English composers to organise his dances types—the almain and the jig. It is relatively rare in last two years of his life. These circumstances go although the whereabouts of his grave is not into suites by key. The musical style and texture English keyboard music, appearing only for a brief some way to explain his relative obscurity today. known. The contents of his house in Battersea of Bryne’s suites had a considerable influence on time, and in terms of the keyboard is almost unique were valued at £00 and bequeathed to his three the next generation of composers, especially Blow to Bryne. Such duple time jigs do occur on the con- During the years of civil war and the ensuing children Albertus, Elizabeth and Mary. Amongst and Purcell and they illuminate the development tinent. In France gigues are often indistinguishable administrative upheaval Bryne was by no means his domestic effects were ‘a paire of organs’ and of their constituent dances during a period of from allemandes and several Froberger gigues are idle although the political climate prohibited any some other unidentified objects, possibly plucked gradual evolution and growing continental influ- notated in this way. Page Page Another form almost unique to English music my prosperity), a full anthem (Lord who shall Musical restoration Instrumentation and present in Bryne’s corpus is the ground. His dwell) and the Short (or whole) Service in G. Ground is for both organ or harpsichord and The form in which Bryne’s music has come down With the exception of music specifically for the presents a simple chord sequence upon which I To place Bryne’s music in context, this disc includes to us leaves many questions of interpretation organ, the majority of Bryne’s pieces would have have improvised further variation in the manner of Bull’s famous G major Prelude and two anonymous unanswered. These range from large scale issues been played on any keyboard instrument which the companion Ground in D major from GB-Ob pieces from an early Bryne source. Bull’s prelude is such as the context in which it was performed and the player had to hand, be it harpsichord, organ D.219 (recorded on DXL 047) and the variation one of the most widely disseminated pieces in the for whom was it written, through questions of or clavichord. Much so-called ‘harpsichord’ music style of Christopher Simpson’s The Division-Viol repertoire. It was a favourite choice for beginners tempo and character down to minutiae of notation from the 7th century sounds equally well on the (659). and is frequently found amongst the first lessons and ornamentation. These issues are more fully organ and I have included a couple of pieces on both in amateur virginal books. The anonymous dances, discussed in my forthcoming edition of the music harpsichord and organ (tracks , 38, 22 and 39). One piece bears the unexplained title Toletole. This especially the alman, illustrate just how far Bryne’s issued in conjunction with this disc. The tessitura of the music lies comfortably may be a dance or a setting of a popular song. The mature music has traversed from the late virginalist between the chromatic compass F-g with frequent title probably refers to the tolling of a bell or pos- style. Written out variations of corants and sarabands are use of the notes C, D and E (but not the intervening sibly a ‘tool’ or instrument. Another old meaning frequently encountered in Restoration keyboard chromatic notes) and a. Most of it suits a C/E-c3 of the word ‘toll’ is ‘to attract, entice, allure, decoy, The disc concludes with three voluntaries or verses music and the improvisation of ‘doubles’ or varied short octave keyboard. Fourteen pieces including incite, instigate’ (OED). What ever the origins of by Christopher Gibbons, second son of the legen- repeats must have been frequently encountered the organ voluntary have a lowest note of AA. One its title, it is clearly an early piece and survives in dary Orlando Gibbons, which Bryne may well have in practice. Two types occur—the ‘division’ type of these has the highest note g while several make two versions. heard his predecessor play at Westminster Abbey. where the variation follows on after the dance and more frequent use of the top notes a-c3. They are typical of Restoration organ music for a the ‘interpolated variation’ in which each half of The D major suite (tracks 4–6) has been Bryne’s organ voluntary has a tripartite structure, single organ (i.e. to be played on one keyboard) the dance is varied upon its repeat. The division recorded in two versions. The earlier version on each section with its own theme consisting of and are close in style to Bryne’s own voluntary.

Load more