King Henry VIII: The Musical Court

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King Henry VIII was born in 1491, and became king in 1509, until his death in 1547. He is probably most known for his six marriages, which he had two of his former wives beheaded. As king, Henry VIII was responsible for separating England from the Roman Catholic Church creating the newly formed Church of England. As a result of this reformation, King Henry VIII discontinued all monasteries serving Rome in England to get rid of all Catholic influences which ultimately led to a new form of church music being written for the Anglican Church. King Henry VIII was a unique king in the sense that he was a strong advocate for the arts especially music. He was a composer, musician, and had a very large court fill with some of the best musicians in Europe. His compositions were some of the most popular songs in England during the Renaissance. He was originally intended to play a major leadership role in the church, but due to the death of his elder brother Arthur he became king. The education and training he received for the church naturally played an enormous role in the daily life in his court. The fact that he was so involved with music really shaped his ideology on what should be the role for the arts in his monarch and how his court should function on a daily basis.

King Henry VIII’s interest in music started at a young age. As stated before, he received a music education throughout his childhood and he became accomplished at the organ, lute, and virginals. As king he employed no fewer than 58 musicians in his court. He owned 56 keyboard instruments, 20 horns of various sorts, 19 bowed string instruments, 31 plucked strings, and no fewer than 220 wind instruments of various kinds. He understood that music and art should be an...

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...rtly audience.” So even looking at this manuscript one can conclude that the musical life in England was quite lively. Many people participated and had a hand in the success King Henry VIII saw in his court. King Henry VIII’s musical talent and patronage certainly defined many of the characteristics he had as king, but history can’t ignore the treatment of his wives, the executions of his political rivals, and cultivation of fear among the common people. Luckily his beliefs in the role of the arts somewhat subdued a lot of the negativity some associated King Henry VIII with. Through his music and his court he was able to define how music should be used in any monarchy by making it a daily ritual in which the members of his court were enriched with music in their lives. This practice among others is what made King Henry VIII such a supreme figure in the Renaissance.

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