A masquerade is a party or dance at which fancy masks and costumes are worn. In early times it was connected with religion, but was afterwards discouraged by the fathers of the church. Originating in Italy, the
masquerade was introduced into France by Catherine de'Medici; it reached England during the reign of Henry VIII, and flourished under Elizabeth I, giving rise to a special kind of play - the masque. Masquerading was forbidden in France in 1535 owing to its abuses, but was very popular with Louis XIV. It was again proscribed by the republicans in 1789. Research Masquerade
Sir Henry Rowley Bishop was an English composer. He was born in 1780 at London and died in 1855. He trained under Bianchi, composer to the London Opera House. From 1809, when his first opera, the Circassian Bride, was produced at Drury Lane, until his masque The Fortunate Isles, written to celebrate Queen Victoria's marriage, he composed about a hundred works for the stage - among others the music of Guy Mannering, The Slave, The Miller and his Men, Maid Marian, The Virgin of the Sun, Aladdin, Hamlet, versions of operas by Rossini, Meyerbeer and others, Waverley, Manfred, etc and the ditty home sweet home. From 1810 to 1824 he acted as musical composer and director to Govent Garden Theatre. He also arranged several volumes of the National Melodies, and completed the arrangement of the music for Moore's Irish Melodies, commenced by Stevenson. Shortly after the accession of Queen Victoria he was knighted. He was elected Reid professor of music in Edinburgh University in 1841, and in 1848 professor of music in the University of Oxford. Research Henry Bishop
James Thomson was a British poet. He was born in 1700 at Ednam, Roxburghshire and died in 1748. Educated at Edinburgh University with a view to following his father into the ministry he changed his mind and in 1725 settled in London where he wrote a series of four poems known as 'The Seasons'. Many of his other poems and plays were failures, but with Mallet in 1740 he wrote 'The Masque of Alfred' which contains the lyrics 'Rule Britannia'. Research James Thomson
John Fletcher was a British dramatist. He was born in 1579 at Rye, Sussex and died in 1625. His father was successively dean of Peterborough, bishop of Bristol, Worcester, and London. The Woman Hater, produced in 1606-1607, is the earliest work known to exist in which he had a hand. It does not appear that he was ever married. He died in London of the plague, in August, 1625, and was buried at St Saviour's, Southwark. The friendship of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, like their literary partnership, was singularly close; they lived in the same house, and are said to have even had their clothes in common. The works that pass under their names consist of over fifty plays, a masque, and some minor poems. It is believed that all the minor poems except one were written by Francis Beaumont. After the death of Francis Beaumont John Fletcher continued to write plays alone or with other dramatists. It is now difficult, if not indeed impossible, to determine with certainty the respective shares of the two poets in the plays passing under their names.
According to the testimony of some of their contemporaries Francis Beaumont possessed the deeper and more thoughtful genius, John Fletcher the gayer and more idyllic. Four Plays in One, Wit at Several Weapons, Thierry and Theodoret, Maid's Tragedy, Philaster, King and No King, Knight of the Burning pestle, Cupid's Revenge, Little French Lawyer, Scornful Lady, Coxcomb, and Laws of Candy have been assigned to Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher conjointly. To Francis Beaumont alone - The Masque of the Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. To John Fletcher alone - The Faithful Shepherdess, Woman-hater, Loyal Subject, Mad Lover, Valentinian, Double Marriage, Humorous Lieutenant, Island Princess, Pilgrims, Wild-goose Chase, Spanish Curate, Beggar's Bush, Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, Fair Maid of the Inn, etc. To John Fletcher and Rowley - Queen of Corinth, Maid of the Mill, and Bloody Brother. To John Fletcher and Massinger - False One, and Very Woman. To John Fletcher and Shirley - Noble Gentleman, Night-walker, and Love's Pilgrimage. To John Fletcher and William Shakespeare - Two Noble Kinsmen. Research John Fletcher
Maurice Greene was an English composer. He was born about 1696 and died in 1755. He was in turn organist at St Paul's, at the Chapel Royal, and held the chair of music at Cambridge. His works include a Te Deum; several oratorios, a masque, The Judgment of Hercules, an opera, Phoebe (first produced in 1748), and various glees and catches. His collection of Forty Anthems was well known. Research Maurice Greene
Thomas Augustine Arne was an English composer. He was born in 1710 at London and died in 1778. His first opera, Rosamond, was performed in 1733 at Lincoln's-Inn Fields, and was received with great applause. Then followed Fielding's comic opera, Tom Thumb, or the Tragedy of Tragedies. His style in the Comus (1738) is still more original and cultivated. To him we owe the national air Rule Britannia, originally given in a popular piece called the Masque of Alfred. After having composed two oratorios and several operas he received the title of Doctor of Music at Oxford. He composed, also, music for several of the songs in Shakespeare's dramas, and various pieces of instrumental music. Research Thomas Arne
Portmeirion is a village in Gwynedd, Wales. The village was created by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis based upon the Italian harbour town of Portofino during the 1920's. The 1960's television series 'The Prisoner' was filmed here, as was the 1976 Doctor Who story 'The Masque of Mandragora' which was supposed to be set in RenaissanceItaly, requests to credit the village in the television show's credits were shamefully refused by the BBC. Research Portmeirion
A masque is a form of semi-dramatic entertainment, in which a large part is played by singing and dancing. Promiscuous 'mumming' or 'disguising' with ' visors' was forbidden in London civic orders of the 15th century. The custom was, however, retained as a form of Christmas revels. It was the custom for the mummers to enter the hall and call on the guests to dice and dance with them. Originally this was perhaps done in dumb show, but in time dialogues and songs were used, and several examples are amongst the verses of Henry VI' s court poet, John Lydgate. The Tudor kings had sumptuous masques, with elaborate dresses and pageants or structures of painted carpentry of allegorical design on which the performers entered. The actual term 'mask' is first used in 1513, and before long supplanted both 'mumming' and ' disguising'. Under James I and his successor the masques were lavishly ornamented, Inigo Jones being usually employed to design them, while the music was entrusted to Henry Lawes, and the dialogue and songs to Ben Jonson or some other poet. The dance continued to be the central feature of the entertainment, and the masques were the lords and ladies of the court. The subject matter was generally mythical, pastoral or allegorical; but Jonson was fond of introducing what he called an 'antimasque', in which the characters, for the sake of contrast, were grotesques. Research Masque
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Abbreviations
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