Vox Virginalis Les musique anglaise pour clavier sous les reignes des Tudor et des Stuart English Keyboard Music under the Tudor and Stuart Reigns Rachelle Taylor Virginal et clavecin / Virginals and Harpsichord ACD2 2197 The accomplishments of the virginalists, that school of English keyboard composers who flourished in the late Tudor and early Stuart eras, are documented in even the most succinct music history books.   The largest manuscript preserving their works, the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (compiled before 1619) has been available in modern notation for a hundred years.   Almost as familiar is the modern edition of My Lady Nevell's Book, a commonplace book copied in 1591 and devoted entirely to the keyboard works of William Byrd. This recording proposes an overview of non-liturgical English keyboard music from about 1525 to 1650, written for the virginals.   In Tudor and Stuart England the word “virginals” designated any keyboard instrument with a plucked string mechanism, not only the smaller, single-manual rectangular instruments characteristic of earlier times. … Rachelle Taylor Anonymous / Anonyme (ca. 1525)   1. Ladye Carey's Dompe V     2:13 Master Newman (fl. 1550)   2. Pavyon V     2:50 William Byrd (ca. l542-1623)   3. Hugh Aston's Ground C     9:52   4. Fortune my Foe V     3:57 Peter Philips (ca. 1560-1628)   5. Amarilli di Giulio Romano [Caccini] C     3:30 Pavan and Galliard Dolorosa C     8:30   6. Pavan (6:21)   7. Galliard (2:09) John Bull (ca. 1563-1628)   8. The King's Hunt C     3:50 Thomas Morley (1557-1602)   9. Goe from my Windowe V     4:24 Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) 10. Fantasia in C C     3:27 11. Fantasia in C V     3:27 12 The Italian Grounde C     1:51 Giles Farnaby (ca. 1565-1640) 13. Bonny Sweete Robin V     5:02 Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656) 14. A Sad Pavan for these Distracted Times V     6:35 15. Ground in G C     7:47 V = Virginal / Virginals     C = Clavecin / Harpsichord ATMA Classique is distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading PO Box 44, Briar Hill, Vic, 3088, Australia Telephone +61 (0)3 9432 4149 ~ Telephone +61 (0)3 9444 6879