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English Instrumental Music of the Renaissance

The impact of Renaissance humanism on music can be seen in England the late 15th century under Edward IV (r. 1461–1483) and Henry VII (r. 1485–1509). Although the influence of English music on the continent declined from the mid-15th century as the Burgundian School became the dominant force in the West, English music continued to flourish with the first composers being awarded doctorates at Oxford and Cambridge, including Thomas Santriste, who was provost of King’s College Cambridge, and Henry Abyngdon, who was Master of Music at Worcester Cathedral.

Edward IV chartered and patronised the first guild of musicians in London in 1472, a pattern copied in other major towns cities as musicians formed guilds or waites, creating local monopolies with greater organisation, but arguably ending the role of the itinerant minstrel. There were increasing numbers of foreign musicians, particularly those from France and the Netherlands, at the court, becoming a majority of those known to have been employed by the death of Henry VII.

Henry VIII and James V were both enthusiastic patrons of music. Henry (1491–1547) played various instruments, of which he had a large collection, including, at his death, seventy eight recorders. He is sometimes credited with compositions, including the part-song ‘Pastime with Good Company’.[28] In the early part of his reign and his marriage to Catherine of Aragon secular court music focused around courtly love, probably acquired from the Burgundian court, result in compositions like William Cornysh’s ‘Yow and I and Amyas’.

Among the most eminent musicians of Henry VIII’s reign was John Taverner (1490–1545), organist of the College founded at Oxford by Thomas Wolsey from 1526–1530.

In Scotland James V (1512–42) had a similar interest in music. A talented lute player he introduced French chansons and consorts of viols to his court and was patron to composers such as David Peebles (c. 1510–1579?).