Description
John Jenkins (c1592 – 1678) was an English composer most famous for his music for viols. This set of divisions on a ground bass was originally written for two bass viols in a highly virtuosic style typical of the baroque period.
Jenkins lived and worked during the civil war, which forced him away from the Royal service of Charles I and into more rural country, where he worked as a musician for wealthy royalist families. He spent his final days at Kimberley in Norfolk (famous for its natural beauty, especially its great oak trees), and is buried at St Peter’s church in the village.
Performance notes
The original version for two bass viols on a ground has been freely adapted here for recorders. The suggested ‘narrative’ subtitles – which imagine a countryside walk in the Kimberley estate where John Jenkins is buried – are starting point for characterisation, and can be realised for example with creative articulation, timing (rubato) and other effects to suit the players and performing situation.
In this edition I have supplied scores and parts for three different versions:
- Two bass recorders
- Two alto recorders
- Alto and bass recorders
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