Folio Archives 315: Music for King Henry - LIMITED EDITION 2009

Music for King Henry (The Royal Choirbook).- LIMITED EDITION 2009

When first released this publication was called The Royal Choirbook, but it was a very poor seller and was retitled as Music for King Henry. It still sold very slowly and did not sell out until 2021.

The publication consists of three items:-

FACSIMILE
Illustrated frontispiece and ornamented initial letters.
Printed on thick mock vellum paper.
Quarter bound in dark red buckram with cream vegetable parchment sides cover blocked in gold and colour foils.
All page edges gilded.
Dark red endpapers.
Red cloth slipcase gilt embossed with King Henry’s monogram on front.
36 pages
51.7x36.3cm.

COMMENTARY
Written by Nicolas Bell.
Modern music notation performing edition by David Skinner.
Three-quarter bound in dark red buckram with colour portrait printed front cover.
26 integrated colour pictures.
Dark red endpapers.
Dark red cloth slipcase gilt blocked with King Henry’s monogram on front.
126 pages.
31.2x22.2cm.

MUSIC CD
Motets from a Royal Choirbook, Songs by Henry VIII.
Performed by early music consort Alamire directed by David Skinner.
Instruments are cornett, shawm, sackbut and percussion.
CD in fold-out card case with plastic CD holder insert.
Play time 76m28s.
20 page illustrated leaflet printed mainly white on black enclosed in case.

The facsimile is of the British Library’s Royal MS ii E XI, which is a collection of motets and other music that were presented to King henry VIII in 1516 by Italian merchants Petrus and Benedictus de Opitiis. It is a very large, luxurious volume embellished with heraldic illuminations. Benedictus was subsequently appointed royal organist (nothing like a bit of bribery to gain a King’s favour!).

The music pieces transcribed in the facsimile are:-
* - Salve radix motet
* - Psalite felices motet
* - Two hymns to the Virgin Mary derived from the Song of Solomon
* - Psalm 128 Beati omnes

The smudges on the facsimile pages are from the original 500 year old manuscript.

Only 500 copies were produced, and it sold for £445.



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An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.