Discs of recorder consort recitals are fairly common at present.
Indeed this repertoire has been mulled over by most early music
ensembles. Yet its good to have these fine musicians tackling
this music. They add something exciting and new to their performances.
The Flautadors have
been around for a little while and have performed at Early Music
Festivals all over the world. They are joined by the lovely
Corrina Silvester on percussion in the dance pieces, a reminder,
as Ian Wilson’s excellent booklet notes tell us, that King James
IV of Scotland, Mary’s grandfather, was very fond of an African
drummer that he had at court in around 1505.
The notes begin with a brief essay on ‘Recorders and Drums in
Scotland’ pointing out that Queen Mary employed wind players
for her own entertainments. Then we have observations on Mary’s
life in the context of the music and the composers with various
contemporary commentaries. There are also some attractive photographs
of the performers.
The disc is divided into eight sections. This is not the first
time that the ill-fated Queen has given her name to a CD. On
Chandos (CHAN 0529) The Scottish Early Music Consort do a similar
thing. It’s quite handy because Mary’s life was not just spent
in Scottish or English courts but in France where music was
thriving in the early sixteenth century. The Flautadors begin
with ‘Alas, a lass’ which consists of one beautiful traditional,
unaccompanied Scottish tune. Following that is ‘Mary’s Infancy’
1542-8 and then her ‘First years in France’ 1548-61, where she
obtained her schooling. The next section is ‘Queen of France’
1558. Then her life takes her ‘Over the Water’, also 1558, which
moves into ‘Reform’ and then ‘Welcomed in Edinburgh’ 1561. The
longest section, happily, is ‘Touring and Dancing’ 1561-8 of
which she was very fond and for which she was much criticized
by the tiresome John Knox. ‘Politick’ comes next 1568-87 and
finally in ‘My end is my beginning’ 1587. There is also a valedictory
poem called ‘Fotheringay’ by the Queen herself. To go to the
castle now is to find nothing except bare earth and some rough
stones where the poor lamented queen passed her final days.
The nearby church, although reduced in size, is still superbly
perpendicular.
Although played on recorders the music is not all secular as
there are a few sacred pieces such as David Peebles’ setting
of Psalm 1. If you want the sacred music associated with Mary
and composers like Carver and John Black you should search out
an ASV disc (GAU 136) recorded by Capella Nova where the Black
and Peebles pieces can be heard in their texted versions.
There are a wide variety of styles represented. Amongst the
most attractive pieces are Pierre Certon’s chanson La, la,
la je ne l’ose dire that the King’s Singers used to regularly
do many years ago. Also Ghizeghem’s simple but famous De
tous biens playne followed by Agricola’s typically fantastic
variant on it. Departe, Departe was recorded with its
text on the Chandos disc mentioned above as was the memorable
song Richt soir opprest and, what appears to be a rather
didactic piece but is in fact a happy little Galliard Ane
Exempill of Tripla. There are two Bransles d’Ecosse
by Arbeau to be found in his wonderful book on dancing Orchesography
of 1589 but obviously earlier in date. There is a reminder of
the Roman Catholic music of Scotland, which was close to Mary’s
heart, in a rendition of Robert Johnson’s Deus misereatur
nostri, a motet using Psalm 67, which you can hear in its
texted version on another ASV disc (GAU 154) by Cappella Nova
under Alan Tavener.
One characteristic of Scottish music - especially of this period
- is found in many places but especially in the Sanctus which
may be from the hand of Robert Carver and also in the song Richt
soir is that as you listen you appear to be in a major key
but occasionally a triad on the flattened seventh appears. This
gives a special feel to some of these pieces.
Claude Goudimel who was a Huguenot composer firstly of chansons
and later of hymns and psalm settings (as his Psalm 113 here)
who was slaughtered in August 1572 at the St. Bartholomew’s
Day massacre. Hudson, represented by the jolly Hutchesoun’s
Galyiard, is an otherwise unknown figure who worked
at the Scottish Court and was known as a viol player. James
Launder, whose elegant Golden Pavan we hear, worked closely
with Mary whilst she was imprisoned and acted as her spy. Hayne
Van Ghizeghem was one of the most important of the Burgundian
court composers of three generations previous but whose music
was still well known. His De tous bien playne was particularly
famous.
The ensemble work of the Flautadors is always masterful, tuning
is perfect and balance faultless. These are far from easy things
to achieve even with professionals. So, an enjoyable disc, nicely
presented and beautifully played.
Gary Higginson
Track listing
ANON/TRAD
The Scotch Queen [3.02]
Prince Edward’s Pavan [1.42]
Departe, Departe [1.04]
Sanctus (attrib Carver) [6.09]
Ane lesson upon the First Psalme [2.11]
Psalm 113 [1.46]
An exempill of Tripla [0.45]
Richt soir opprest [1.49]
Woe worth the tyme [1.01]
Paven [2.25]
Galliard [1.12]
The Last time I came over the Mure [2.16]
The Queine of Ingland’s Galliard [0.55]
Etienne du TERTRE
(?)
Première Suyte de Bransles d’Ecosse [1.26]
Pierre CERTON (1510-1572)
La, la, la je no l’ose dire [1.31]
Hayne van GHIZEGHEM (1445-1497)
De tous biens playne [2.31]
Alexander AGRICOLA (1445-1506)
De tous biens playne [1.43]
Antoine GARDANE (1509-1569)
Jouissance vous donneray [1,36]
Claudin de SERMISY (1490-1562)
Jouissance vous donneray (1.40]
Robert JOHNSON (c.1500-1560)
Deus misereatur nostri [4.52]
Claude GOUDIMEL (d.1572)
Psalm 113 in reports [1.50]
Thoinot ARBEAU (d.1595)
Deux Bransles d’Ecosse [1.48]
John BLACK (1520-1587)
Lytill Blak [1.25]
Musick Fyne [1.41]
My Delyt [2.03]
David PEEBLES (d.1579)
Psalm 1 [1.08]
Tobias HUME (1569-1645)
A French Jigg [0.51]
HUDSON
(?)
Hutchesoun’s Galyiard [1.29]
James LAUNDER (fl.c.1580)
The Golden Pavan [2.48]
John FETHY (c.1550)
The Time of Youth [1.55]
The Flautadors (Catherine Fleming, Merlin Harrison, Celia Ireland,
Ian Wilson (recorders); Corrina Silvester (percussion)) 
