Description

Admin History:

Starting in the 1580s a 'Consort' was a group of six instruments, performing during plays and between acts. It comprised treble viola da gamba or violin, flute or recorder, lute, cittern, bandora and bass viola da gamba. Treble and bass violas da gamba, or viols, are stringed instruments resembling a violin and a cello. A cittern is a small plucked or strummed instrument that has courses, or sets, of wire strings, making a sound like a modern banjo. A bandora is a larger stringed instrument also with courses of metal strings. The music played survives in a small number of consort books, including the Walsingham consort manuscripts, but few have all the instrument parts surviving.

The Walsingham consort books (U DDHO/20/1-3a) are manuscripts copied for use in the household of Sir Francis Walsingham, who was a great patron of the arts. They include pieces named for him and possibly his daughter, Frances. Many of the pieces have the composer listed, including Richard Allison and Daniel Bacheler, both renowned composers of their time.

The original copy of the cittern part of the Walsingham consort books is in the FW Olin Library, Mills College, Oakland, California, United States of America, but U DDHO/20/3b contains a photocopy.

Description:

This item has now been placed alongside The Walsingham consort books (U DDHO/20/1-3a) and can be found at U DDHO/20/3b