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• Tomkins/Simpson: "Chromatic" Pavan and Galliard

Tomkins/Simpson: "Chromatic" Pavan and Galliard

for 5 instruments.

These two pieces come from Thomas Simpson´s Opusculum Neuwer Pavanen / Galliarden / Couranten / unnd Volten, published in Frankfurt in 1610. In Simpson´s interesting collection there are several cases where he has added a matching galliard to a pavan by another composer (e.g. Dowland): in no. 95 of the present series the starting point is a pavan by John Farmer. While in some cases (e.g. Farmer) it is possible that Simpson was responsible for at least some of the partwriting in the pavan, in the present instance that is not the case, as Tomkins´ piece survives in at least seven manuscript sources, including three in the British Library (Egerton 3665, Add. MSS 17792-6, Add. MSS 30826-8). A keyboard version with very elaborate divisions - presumably by the composer - is the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, no. CXXIII.
In this edition the original note values have been retained. Original accidentals are taken as applying to the whole bar, for the sake of simplicity with the occasional editorial accidental appearing above the stave, applying to the one note only.
These pieces may be performed on recorders, or on wind instruments such as cornetts, sackbuts and curtals. Thomas Simpson, who was a violinist, would probably have had violin consort in mind for professional performances, but would have expected wealthy amateur musicians - who generally considered the violin too noisy - to play this music on viols.