Viva Brighton Issue #68 October 2018

CLASSICAL
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Legal Aliens
Remembering the Bassanos
Gawain Glenton plays the cornett,
an instrument that, in the 18th
century, practically became extinct.
Which is amazing when you think
it was once “the most popular
wind instrument in Europe”.
“The cornett is an entirely
different instrument from the
modern cornet” he says (note
the double ‘t’ and that the stress
is on the second syllable). “It’s a
hybrid instrument, carved in wood
with holes like a recorder, which
is then bound in leather, with a
mouthpiece made of horn like that of a trumpet.
There is absolutely no modern equivalent. It was
unique in that it could be played loud or soft,
in any key, and it could imitate the sound and
articulation of the human voice.”
Gawain plays in a six-person group, the
English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, who are
performing at the Brighton Early Music Festival
this month. “Sackbut is simply the English name
for the Renaissance trombone, an instrument
which has changed remarkably little over the
last 400 years. It works best as a tenor or bass
instrument, whereas the cornett is a soprano or
alto. Together they complete a ‘family’ of sounds.
We also employ a harpsichord and an organ.”
The ECSE are performing a concert entitled
The Bassanos – Legal Aliens in 16th-century
London. “The Bassanos, from Venice, were one
of a number of family groups of musicians who
performed in the royal court from the reign of
Henry VIII. The English music scene benefitted
enormously: they were the catalyst for a real
flowering of English composing, influencing the
likes of William Byrd and Thomas Tallis.” Some
Byrd compositions are included
in the BREMF concert, taking
place at St Martin’s Church on
Lewes Road, along with pieces
by John Cooper (an Italophile
who changed his name to
Giovanni Coprario!) and Alfonso
Ferrabosco.
“The Bassanos were in touch
with their relatives in Venice, so
they kept up with the trends in
contemporary European music,”
Gawain continues. “Like most
trades, the skills of musicians
were often passed down from generation to
generation. They even had their own guilds.
Other families included the Lupos – also from
Italy – and the Lanier family, exiled French
Huguenots. This all made London a melting pot
of European music in the 16th century, with the
result that anyone who visited the court and went
to one of the semi-public events (like parties,
dances or church services) would have been
impressed by the magnificence of the sounds they
heard: they would never have heard anything like
it. It was, in effect, propaganda for Henry VIII
and future monarchs.”
Gawain decided to become a cornett player “as
soon as I heard the sound”. “It gives you a lot
of scope to improvise and be creative,” he says.
“There were manuals written instructing how
to do ornaments, which we still use today. The
instrument lends itself to improvisation, meaning
that every concert we give is absolutely unique,
as would have been the case with the family
ensembles back in the sixteenth century. In many
ways it was the jazz of its era.” Alex Leith
St Martin’s Church, 27th Oct, 7.30pm, bremf.org.uk
Photo by Andrew Roach
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