He employed a great number of musicians in his private household, many as ‘Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal’, and the growing wealth of England during the reigns of the Tudor monarchs provided a secure basis for the cultural blossoming of the Renaissance. These include masses, motets and part-songs. Many musical works were ascribed to him, but although the provenance of some may be rather dubious (most notably Greensleeves), others were certainly penned by the King. King Henry VIII was a man of many parts, and amongst other accomplishments he was noted as a fine musician, both as an instrumentalist and as a composer. In this Diamond Jubilee year, as we mark the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II (b1926), we look at the musical heritage of three of her more colourful predecessors, King Henry VIII (1491-1547), Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The royal court has provided support for many musicians, from the minstrels and trouvères of medieval times to the prestigious position of ‘Master of the Queen’s Music’, currently held by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (b1934). This programme of music celebrates the large collection of music written for the monarchs of England (and after 1603 of Britain). There is little doubt that the development of Western classical music over the centuries owes a great deal to the patronage of kings and queens.
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