Anne Cromwell's Virginal Book is a manuscript keyboard compilation dated 1638. Whilst the importance of the music it contains is not high, it reveals the sort of keyboard music that was being played in the home at this time.

The manuscript

The upright

quarto Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...

book originally contained 51 pages, five of which have been torn out. It retains its original calf binding with gold tooling, and the initials ''A.C.'' are stamped on both back and front covers. The

verso ' is the "right" or "front" side and ''verso'' is the "left" or "back" side when text is written or printed on a leaf of paper () in a bound item such as a codex, book, broadsheet, or pamphlet. Etymology The terms are shortened from Lati ...

of the title page bears a table of

note value In music notation, a note value indicates the relative duration of a note, using the texture or shape of the '' notehead'', the presence or absence of a ''stem'', and the presence or absence of ''flags/ beams/hooks/tails''. Unmodified note valu ...

s and four lines of verse: '
'
'
' Each of the following 33 pages bears eight sets of six-line ruled staves on which are fifty short pieces of music, written in at least two

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi- fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on ea ...

. The remaining pages are blank apart from the last, on the verso of which is written: ''This Book was my Grandmothers Ann Daughter and Coheiresse of Henry Cromwell Esq^r. of Upwood in Coun^t. Huntingdon & was dated 1638 But somebody has torn out þe heLeaf.'' The book is currently in

Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall Museum (fou ...

The author

Anne Cromwell was born in 1618, the youngest child of Henry Cromwell († 1630) of Upwood, now in

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

. Henry was the brother of Robert Cromwell (c. 1570-1617), the father of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

, making Ann a first cousin of the Lord Protector. Anne later married John Neale of Dean,

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

. Her ''Coheiresse'' (above) was her sister Elizabeth Cromwell (born 1616) who with Anne may have had a hand in the writing of the manuscript.

The pieces contained in the manuscript are relatively simple, and written for the amateur performer. Most are anonymous, and consist of

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

s, dances,

psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...

s and ''symphonies'' (

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A mas ...

music). Only nine pieces are attributed, of which six are to

Simon Ives Simon Ives (sometimes spelled Yves or Ive or Ivy) (1600 - 1662) was an English composer and organist who was active in the court of Charles I of England. He composed many pastoral dialogues, partsongs, glees, and works for organ. He also composed ...

(1600-1662), one to John Ward, one to

Bulstrode Whitelocke Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke (6 August 1605 – 28 July 1675) was an English lawyer, writer, parliamentarian and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England. Early life He was the eldest son of Sir James Whitelocke and Elizabeth Bulstrode, and was ...

and one to (possibly) Thomas Holmes († 1638). However composers of some of the other pieces can be identified from other sources, and include

John Bull John Bull is a national personification of the United Kingdom in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged, country-dwelling, jolly and matter- ...

John Dowland John Dowland (c. 1563 – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", " Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe" ...

and

Henry Lawes Henry Lawes (1596 – 1662) was the leading English songwriter of the mid-17th century. He was elder brother of fellow composer William Lawes. Life Henry Lawes (baptised 5 January 1596 – 21 October 1662),Ian Spink, "Lawes, Henry," ''Grove Mus ...

. The contents (maintaining the original spelling) are as follows: #A Preludium (John Bull) #A Psalme #Mrs Villers Sport: #Besse A Bell #Daphny #The Building of Polles #The French Balletto #A French Tuckato #Fortune my foe #In the dayes of old #Frogges Galliard (John Dowland) # ntitled#M^r Wards Masque (? John Ward) #The Princes Masque #A Toy #The Queens Masque #The New Nightingall #The Meiry Companion #An Ayre #The Meiry Milke-maide #Simphony #The Queenes Galiard #Simphony #Simphony #A Corranto #A Masque #The Meiry old man: #The Healthes #The Sheepeard #The Duke of Buckeinghams Masque #The Milke maide #The #Symphony #The Choyce by M^r Ives (Simon Ives) # ntitled#M^r W: M: delight (Simon Ives) #The Scotch tune #The Blaseing Torch #M^r Holmes Coranto (? Thomas Holmes) # ntitled#M^r Whitelockes Coranto (Bulstrode Whitelocke) #Simphony by M^r Ives (Simon Ives) #Among the Mirtills (Henry Lawes) # ntitled#An almon by M^r Ive (Simon Ives) #A Coranto by M^r Ive (Simon Ives) # A Coranto by M^r Ive (Simon Ives) #The Maide #A Simphony by M^r Ive (Simon Ives) #al done

The manuscript

The author

Contents

See also

Further reading