Bangor study of Chirk Castle music leads to release

Apr 8 2009

RECORDINGS from long-forgotten 17th century manuscripts studied at Bangor University have been released.

Music from the Chirk Castle Part- Books was released by Hyperion Records on March 31, after months of close study by Bangor University academics.

Dr David Evans, who studied the manuscripts alongside post graduate students at Bangor University, said: "They were only relatively recently discovered at Chirk Castle and are a unique source of music; no other Welsh choir music from this period because of the Civil War."

Dr Evans believes that as war broke out, the manuscripts were simply put away and forgotten about, not to be found until 1970.

The manuscripts, the only ones of their kind in Wales, were discovered when the occupying Myddelton family had a clear out in 1970 and sold the manuscripts to the New York Public Library.

Dr David Evans said: "Nobody really knew anything about them but in recent years, the School of Music at Bangor University has been researching them and came up with some interesting things.

"One third of the manuscripts’ contents were of pieces which had previously been unknown and never heard before, which was very exciting for us." It really gives us an idea of what people were singing in the sixteenth and seventeenth century."

The Chirk manuscripts contain works for unaccompanied voices as well as verse anthems and services, scored for solo voices, chorus and organ. 16 devotional songs from the manuscripts were sung by the Brabant Ensemble and recorded at Merton College, Oxford by Hyperion Records.

Brabant Ensemble performed songs from the Chirk collection in 2007 but won’t be returning to North Wales until February 2010. The choir has 12 singers, the same number, Dr Evans believes, that would have sung the songs originally.

Work on building Chirk Castle began in 1294 by Edward I following the overthrow of Llewelyn, last of the princes of Gwynedd. During the next three hundred years, Chirk Castle changed hands regularly but in 1595 it was bought by the merchant adventurer Sir Thomas Myddelton, for £5,000. He handed the control of Chirk Castle and its adjoining lands to his son, also called Thomas, who invited the organist of Wrexham parish church, William Deane, to take charge of music at the castle. William Deane is credited with writing the manuscripts. that have now come to light.

The CD is available from www.hyperion-records.co.uk for £13.99.