Music for the Mayflower
A guest post by Tamsin Lewis
I
direct the early music group Passamezzo [www.passamezzo.co.uk],
an established ensemble known for their ability to bring historical events to
life through their engaging performances and programming. We specialize in
English Elizabethan and Jacobean repertoire.
2020
marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from the Netherlands and England to Plymouth Colony, and so it seems appropriate
to record a CD of music to celebrate this event. Our programme aims to recreate
the world of those on board ship: the Saints (the Pilgrims), the Strangers, and the sailors.
In
Autumn 1620, the Mayflower left
England. In addition to the ship’s crew, there were 102 passengers: religious separatists,
merchants, their families and apprentices, all seeking a fresh start in the New
World.
This
much is well known. What is perhaps less widely known is that Elder William
Brewster (one of the passengers) had three books of music with him.
The
first of these was Henry Ainsworth’s translation of the psalms, with simple
melodies. We have taken the title of our programme They that in Ships
unto the Sea down go from Ainsworth’s translation of psalm 107.
The
second book was another psalter: Richard Allison’s Psalmes of David in
Meter. This is a beautiful collection of music in “table-book” format,
so that the musicians and singers could sit around the book and sing or play
from different ends. These are quite elaborate, with 4 voices, and lute and cittern
tablature.
This
ties in with John Taylor’s statement in his Threefold Discourse
(1642) that the founder of the Separatists “was a singular good Lutenist, and
he made his Son Timothy usually on Sundays bring his Viol to
Church and play the Base to the Psalmes that were sung, so far was he...from
being an enemy to Church Musicke.”
The
final music book was Richard Johnson’s Golden Garland of Princely
Pleasures and Delicate Delights, a collection of popular songs. There
is great variety in this, from ballads telling of the purported grisly deeds of
Richard III, or the death of Lady Jane Grey, to moral songs, and the exquisite
lutesongs of John Dowland and Thomas Ford. For the others on board, there are sailors’ songs, and rounds, and other
music for mariners.
And
for the merchants, songs and dances to tell of some of the wonders that they
hoped to find in the New World, and, of course, tobacco: we have a song about Kawasha,
the god of tobacco, from a masque of 1614 where he “had on his head a Night-cap
of red cloth of gold, close to his skull, tied vnder his chin, two holes cut in
the toppe, out of which his eares appeared, hung with two great Pendants, on
the crowne of his Cappe a Chimney, a glasse chaine about his necke, his body
and legges of Oliue-colour stuffe, made close like the skinne, bases of
Tobacco-colour stuffe cut like Tobacco leaues, sprinkled with orcedure, in his
hand an Indian Bow and Arrowes....The Sergeant of Kawasha carried on his
shoulder a great Tobacco Pipe, as bigge as a Caliuer.” The health giving
properties of tobacco are also enumerated in other songs…
 |
| Kawasha, the god of tobacco |
The
programme includes music by: Richard Allison, Louis Bourgeois, Thomas Campion,
John Dowland, Thomas Ford and Tobias Hume.
It
will be a rich and varied programme, and one that is exciting for us, as we
believe that much of the material in William Brewster's music books has not
been transcribed or performed since the 17th century. We hope that this
recording will bring a new insight into the musical soundscape of the Mayflower.
Although
we have received grants to cover much of our costs, we still need to raise more
money to make this project a reality. We would be very grateful for any help
that you can give us!
Facebook
videos of Passamezzo: https://www.facebook.com/Passamezzo/videos/992699057585714/
Tamsin is also a freelance consultant on historical music, costume
and dance and has published a number of books for Rondo Music
Publishing.
Particular areas of expertise are popular music and song, broadside
ballads, Elizabethan and Jacobean masques, iconography and theatre music
in early modern England.
****************
Many thousands of Americans can claim ancestors who were passengers on the Mayflower, or who emigrated to Plymouth Colony shortly after its founding. Knowing something about the lives, tastes, occupations, and associations of our ancestors is more interesting than simply connecting to a name and birth and death dates. Decades of research have led to writing numerous books, magazine articles, and hundreds of blog posts, as well as speaking about Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer at historical events and in a television documentary.
I've also been a professional church musician from the age of 10, with an interest in religious music from medieval literature to contemporary styles, so making the acquaintance of Tamsin Lewis and her research and expertise is a pleasure. I hope you'll support the funding of Passamezzo's recording project with your pounds, dollars, or euros.
