Giles Farnaby (1563-1640)
Farmers Pavan
Galliarda
Fantasia
Mal Sims
Pavane XXXIX
Meridian Alman
A Maske
Quaodlings Delight
Fantasia
A Maske
Wooddy-Cock
Fantasia
Giles Farnaby Dreame
His Rest Galiard
Farnabyes Conceit
His Humour
Fantasia
Rosasolis
Lachrimae Pavan
A Toye
A Maske
Tell mee Daphne
Loth to Depart
For Two Virginals

John Bull (1562-1628)
Pavana of my Lord Lumley
Galliarda to my Lord Lumley
Praeludium
Fantasia
Galliarda
Pavana
Galiard to the Pavan
Prelude
Ut re mi fa sol
St Thomas Wake
The Duke of Brunswicks Alman
Pipers Galiard
Variatio Ejusdem
The Quadran Pavan
Variation of the Quadran Pavan
Galiard to the Quadran Pavan

Pieter-Jan Belder, clavecin

The extraordinary Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a fascinating document housed in the Fitzwilliam Library in Cambridge, UK. It was probably compiled by Francis Treggian in the early 17th century, while he sat in prison for refusing to renounce his Catholicism. Whatever its origins, the exceptional manuscript contains almost 300 pieces, including many by known Roman Catholic sympathisers. In this, the fourth volume of the series, Pieter-Jan Belder focuses on the works by Giles Farnaby and John Bull, with Farnaby being one of the few Protestants represented in the manuscript. It’s likely that the two composers knew each other, as there are a number of clear similarities between their two styles, and the keyboard figurations of the two composers are at times indistinguishable. For this reason, Pieter-Jan Belder decided to group the two composers together for this release. The harpsichord pieces vary from Pavans and Galliards to Fantasias and Maskes (short interludes), as well as transcriptions of and embellishments on traditional folk tunes. The release concludes with Bull’s Quadran Pavan and Galiard, probably the longest piece in the entire Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, with an extensive variation of the pavan followed by a galliard made up of three distinct and varied sections. Pieter-Jan Belder is a prolific recording artist, with over 130 CD recordings to his name. This is the fourth volume in his acclaimed series of recordings from The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, with the first praised by Fanfare, who said ‘this is one complete recording series that I want to see to completion’. Joined by his student Gerhard Boogaard for one track – who also built the Ruckers harpsichord featured on this disc – Belder tackles the diverse and complex world of Elizabethan harpsichord music with ease.