Amorous in Music - William Cavendih in Antwerp (1648-1660)

The English nobleman, William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle (1593-1676), writer, patron and Royalist commander, was forced into exile during the English Civil War. In 1648 he moved with his second wife Margaret Lucas (1623-1673) into the house of the famous painter Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp where he soon became a major figure in the rich cultural life of the Low Countries, devoting himself to music, literature, the arts and sciences. Cavendish was an enthusiastic patron of the viol and assembled a library of instrumental music ranging from fantasias and pavans for consorts of viols through to virtuoso sets of divisions for solo bass viol. He also collected dance music for violins and viols, often reflecting the more innovative styles in string playing. And he loved traditional songs and melodies, like the early seventeenth-century ballad Daphne, and the Elizabethan tunes Strawberry Leaves and Tickle my toe. He believed that popular music coupled with the promotion of old calendar customs such as Maypole dancing cemented the bonds between the ruling elite and the lower orders of provincial society. The Parliamentarians may have criticised Cavendish as ‘one of Apollo’s Whirligigs’, but with the benefit of hindsight, we can see that his passion for the arts, sciences and letters rightly earned him the epithet ‘our English Mecænas’. Angharad Gruffydd Jones’ repertoire extends from Monteverdi through to contemporary works, with a particular focus on music of the baroque and classical periods. She has appeared with many of the UK’s leading conductors. Concordia was formed by its director, Mark Levy, to ‘explore music involving viols of all shapes and sizes’ and particularly in recent seasons the ensemble has enthusiastically fulfilled this wide-ranging brief with highly successful projects. Concordia has nonetheless not neglected the rich field of English consort music for viols, or contemporary repertoire. For many years one of the UK’s leading viol players, Mark Levy has also won a reputation as one of the most thoughtful and creative chamber musicians of his generation, in particular through his work with his own ensemble Concordia. Mark is currently a researcher in the Centre for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London.