1921] on Researches of a Musical Antiquarian 333 



notes of them." He goes on to say, " Orlando Gibbons set music in 

 four parts to the Cries in his time." This sentence needs explana- 

 tion. "When Hawkins states that the composers set the Cries to 

 music, one naturally concludes that they took the words of the old 

 Cries and set them to music. But he continues, " retaining the very 

 musical notes of them." Now this is exactly what is so interesting. 

 The examples which I hope to put before you will show that the 

 composers did not set the Cries, but incorporated the old Cries 

 prevalent in London in Shakespeare's time, words and music, into a 

 new form of composition for voices and instruments. This new 

 form is very striking since it is an enlargement of the scope of the 

 Fancy. 



This was the great instrumental form of the time, composed as a 

 rule for strings, and consisting, for the most part, of elaborate work 

 of a contrapuntal nature, full of points of imitation. Nearly all the 

 composers of the period of which I am speaking wrote Fancies. 

 Even up to the days of Purcell they were in vogue, Purcell himself 

 writing some remarkable ones, before he ventured on the new form 

 of Sonatas. But these Fancies had no vocal parts, and what I am 

 now concerned with is a delightful development of the Fancy — not 

 only containing the usual parts for strings, but adding vocal parts, 

 these vocal parts consisting exclusively of the Old London Cries, 

 with their words and the original music ; not new settings by the 

 composer of the Fancy. That these old Cries are given to the 

 original music is proved by the fact that the three composers whose 

 Fancies I have been able to get together, Weelkes, (ribbons and 

 Dering, used the same words and music for the various Cries. 



The first specimen I give to-day is the least elaborate and 

 shortest. The Cries in Weelkes are allotted to one part only, the 

 Cantus or Melody. But for variety's sake and to save the singers 

 fatigue, I have allotted the various Cries to various singers and 

 different voices. I have, however, made no change in the music. 

 One point I ought to explain. In the middle of the movement the 

 Fancy makes a pause — the time changes — and a charming little dance 

 tune to some odd words — " Twinkledowne Tavye " is introduced. 

 This is exactly what we find in the Ballets, and is the only approach to 

 the Madrigal style in the composition, with, perhaps, the exception of 

 the conclusion with its Alleluia, which sounds rather like an Anthem ! 

 The seller of brooms has a charming song — not a Cry, but a song — 

 such as the itinerant vendors of ink, blacking, garlick, etc., sang, 

 and which are found in the more elaborate things by Gibbons and 

 Dering. In an old play, " A right excellent and famous Comedy," 

 entitled " Three Ladies of London," printed in 1584, one of the 

 characters called " Conscience " enters with brooms and sings this 

 very song : — 



" Have you any old boots or any old shoes, 

 Pouch rings or buskings — will ye buy any brooms." 



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