Robert Parsons’ Magnificat from the First Great Service
Throughout September, the Daily Classical Music Post celebrates the music of 15th-, 16th-, and 17th-century England. https://youtu.be/ntPmtmxwohU It was a time of great religious upheaval in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. After the death of Henry VIII, the Latin liturgy was replaced with Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer, in English. English composers had to supply new music immediately. One of those called upon to do this was Robert Parsons, a member of the Chapel Royal. Mark Sealey wrote, “Next to nothing is known about Robert Parsons. He was born around 1530. . . .He died by drowning in the River Trent in 1572. It has been suggested that Parsons’ unusual death may have been responsible for fellow musicians and associates turning their backs on his music immediately after the traumatic event; and that this neglect somehow snowballed. . . . [H]is music has real beauty and is pleasantly compelling. His lines are clear, clean and inspiring; his textures never dense or obsc...