Daman: Di sei soprani

Description

William Daman (or Damon) was a Franco-Flemish wind-player and organist from Liege.
Di sei soprani is the only piece of its kind in English sources.
He also wrote a piece for 6 bass instruments.

It is tempting to wonder whether Daman had specific instruments in mind. The other pieces from around this time for 6 high instruments (Lichtlein’s Capriccio and Alexander’s two intradas from 1597) were intended for six cornetts, as indeed was the canzon for four equal instruments by Samuel Scheidt (1621). But given Daman’s working life in England, it is perhaps more likely that he had violins or even treble viols in mind.

In this edition the original note values have been halved throughout. The parts provided with this edition are at two pitches, the original pitch, and a fourth lower. Performers should, of course, feel free to ex- periment with other transpositions.