New Light on Early Tudor Composers. XXII. Nicholas Ludford Author(s): W. H. Grattan Flood Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 62, No. 946 (Dec. 1, 1921), pp. 837-838 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/908549 Accessed: 02-03-2016 14:52 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 130.113.111.210 on Wed, 02 Mar 2016 14:52:51 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES-DECEMBER I 1921 837 As it happens, the building is so placed that the 'Vic.' have flourished in the years 1495-I52I. A diligent cannot extend except by disturbing its neighbour, the search has revealed a few more facts regarding this Morley College. Therefore the 'Vic.' must provide a new early Tudor composer. It may be well to note, however, home for that institution. A suitable building in the near that he was not, as generally surmised, a member of neighbourhood is available if funds can be raised to acquire the Chapel Royal. Doubtless a further investigation it. To reinstate the Morley College and make the necessary may bring to light more details, but meahtime the alterations and extensions will cost about ?30,000. Of this sum the 'Vic.' can lay its hands on about ?to,ooo; for the following notes will be helpful, though the net result remainder it must look to the interest and generosity of the has not been as fruitful as could be desired. public. Nicholas Ludford first appears in an account book In asking help on an occasion of very great stress we feel of the Steward of Ashby Leger, in March, 1520, we are justified in appealing not only to the regular friends printed in the 'Calendar of Letters and Papers of of the ' Vic.' (who will certainly not fail it), but to allwho are Henry VIII.' (vol. iii). At one time I was inclined concerned for the humanities. The work of the 'Old Vic.'is to believe that Ludford was a member of the Chapel moral and spiritual, no less than artistic, and there is Royal, and a friend told me that his name occurred abundant evidence of its actual influence for good. in some accounts in the Public Record Office, in Contributions of any amount will be thankfully received and can be sent to the Secretary of the 'Old Vic.' Appeal connection with the Dean of the King's Chapel, Fund, Royal Victoria Hall, Waterloo Road, S.E.I. Dr. John Clark. An examination of the Calendar, Cheques should be made payable to Sir W. P. Herringham however, revealed the fact that although the accounts (Chairman of the Governors).-We are, Yours obediently, of the Dean of the Chapel are given for March, 1520, H. H. AsQumITH L. C. F. CAVENDISH. Ludford's name does not appear in them, yet his DUNSANY. HERBERT FISHER. name does occur in the succeeding entry recording JOHN W. GILBERT. A. BONAR LAW. the payment of 4I 19 8s. by a number of persons in W. MANCHESTER. ARTHUR PINERO. the Steward's Account of Ashby Leger (Northampton). ETHEL SMYTH. CYRIL SOUTHWARK. Moreover, in the detailed account of the Chapel J. H. THoOMAs. EVERARD G. THORNE. Royal at the Field of Cloth of Gold, in 1520, Ludford's name is not to be found.* In I520 he NEW LIGHT ON EARLY TUDOR seems to have been a contemporary of John Kite, COMPOSERS who had been sub-dean of the Chapel Royal, and By W. H. GRATTAN FLOOD was promoted to be Archbishop of Armagh. Con- XXII.-NICHOLAS LUDFORD sequently, he would then be about forty years of age, Great as is the reputation of Robert Fayrfax, there from which we may safely place his birth as c. 1480. is another early Tudor composer whose works may The next notice of Nicholas Ludford, who was bear favourable comparison with his: this man is married in 1535, is on July 3, 1538, when he was Nicholas Ludford. And yet it is only since the begin- granted an exemption 'from serving on juries and ning of the present century that Ludford may be said from being made escheator, coroner, collector of to have been 'discovered.' His compositions are taxes, constable, or other officer.' This notice is to almost as numerous as those of Fayrfax, and hence be found in the 'Calendar of Letters,' &c., of we are in a position to estimate their value. Even Henry VIII.,' and it may be assumed that the Dr. Terry recently admitted that Ludford's works exemption arose from Ludford's connection with the 'show him to be a much bigger man' than he had Court, and was probably due to some serious accident at first suspected ; and-stronger proof still-the or illness, for it could scarcely be on the score of old general verdict of musical critics, who have been age, as he was then on the sunny side of sixty. given an opportunity of hearing seven of Ludford's Evidently Ludford died in 1541, or early in 1542, Masses sung during the past few years at Westminster as on June I, 1542, among the Life Grants in the Cathedral, has confirmed the expert views of Messrs. King's Books (33 Henry VIII.), there is an entry of a Collins, Davey, Terry, and Walker. I was hoping Lease for twenty-one years to Elizabeth Ludford, that Mr. Orsmond Anderton, in his recent book on widow, of certain lands and a water-mill in ' Early English Music'(1920), would throw some new Birmingham Manor, Warwickshire. Through the light on the biography of this important composer, courtesy of Mr. Collins, I am enabled to give the but, alas! he writes thus: following list of Luidford's works, all as yet in MS.: No information as to his life is available except that Six Masses for solo and three-part chorus, each he was about contemporaneous with, possibly a little containing a Sequence (Brit. Mus., R. Appen., 45-47). later than, Fayrfax. Several of his Masses are in use Missa 'Benedicta,' for six voices (Lambeth and Caius). at Westminster Cathedral, including seven for three In the former MS. it is given anonymously. voices, one for each day in the week. Of these perhaps Missa 'Videte Miraculum,' for six voices (MS. at Caius the finest is the 'Missa Sabbato.' College). Mr. H. B. Collins writes in an almost similar strain Missa 'Christi Virgo,' for five voices (MSS. at Caius, in his excellent paper on 'Latin Church Music by Cambridge, an.d Peterhouse). Early English Composers,' Part 2, in the Missa 'Inclina Domine,' for five voices (Peterhouse). Missa 'Lapidaverunt Stephanum,' for five voices 'Proceedings of the Musical Association' (1916-17): (Lambeth-but anonymously-and Caius). Another composer of about the same period as Missa 'Regnum mundi,' for five voices (Peterhouse). Fayrfax, or slightly later, was Nicholas Ludford, with Missa 'Le Roy '-only fragmentary (Brit. Mus. Add. regard to whom I have been able to ascertain no 30,520). particulars whatever. His name does not appear in Magnificat, for six voices (Caius). Grove, nor in the 'Dictionary of National Biography,' Ave Maria Ancilla, for five voices (Peterhouse). though he is mentioned at the end of Morley's 'Plaine Ave Cujus Conceptio, for five voices (Feterhouse). and Easie Introduction' as one of the composers whose Domine Jesu Christi, for five voices (Peterhouse). works the author had consulted. Salve Regina (No. I), medius only (Harley, 1709). Thus it may be briefly stated that hitherto the Salve Regina (No. 2) (Hadey and Peterhouse). biographical data regarding Ludford was nil, save (N.B.-The Peterhouse MS. wants the Tenor.) that he was more or less the contemporary of Fayrfax: that is to say, we may assume him to S* ee an article on this subject in the Musical Times for June, 1920. This content downloaded from 130.113.111.210 on Wed, 02 Mar 2016 14:52:51 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 838 THE MUSICAL TIMES-DECEMBER I 192I Mr. Collins has scored many of these Masses- proportion of noumeautx riches and of foreigners. It was to be feared that dramatic art was tottering to its fall, written in 'black void' notation-and he gives the since one third of the public was unacquainted with the following estimate of the first of the six Masses for French language, and another third with the merest solo bass voice or unison chorus, alternating with a rudiments of grammar and history. A reaction has three-part choir. It is also worthy of note that the come, however. And now what remains of our Canto Fermo, in plainchant, is in 'strictly measured intellectual ilfe shun the theatres that cater for the music' like that of the chorus: crowd, and assemble in smaller places to listen to plays worthy of their attention. But operas, lyric dramas, The counterpoint is at least as fluent and facile as that and ballets cannot be played on small stages, nor to of Fayrfax, and is also of a rather more advanced small audiences.