Puzzle canon receipts of the Forme of Cury

From The Forme of Cury

The three recipes which comprise the texts of these canons are taken from The Forme of Cury, A Roll of Ancient English Cookery, compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the Master-Cooks of King Richard II, presented afterwards to Queen Elizabeth by Edward Lord Stafford.

Forme of Cury was the name given by Samuel Pegge [ca. 1780] to a roll of cookery written by the Master Cooks of King Richard II of England. This name has since come into usage for almost all versions of the original manuscript. It is by far the most well known medieval guide to cooking. .... The roll was written in late Middle English on vellum and details some 205 recipes.

---http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forme_of_cury (accessed 11/27/2007)

I imagine a royal kitchen with large wooden tables and staffed by cooks of various ranks reciting and repeating the directions in polyphony as various medieval ingredients are combined and prepared.

1. Funges (Mushrooms), canon in hypodiatessera a4 (from Ænigmata Harmonia*)
2. Grewel of Almaundes (Almond gruel), canon in diapason a4
3. Peeres in Confyt (Pears in comfit), canon in epidiapente a4 (from Ænigmata Harmonia*)

Completed in 2007

The three canons are conceived as puzzle canons for four voices, each based on a different pitch and temporal interval. The canons are presented in enigmatic notation on the inside cover to underscore the strictness of their design. Given that the canons are written in an early 18th century, historically conscious style, there is clearly a pan-historical aspect to this project. This is reflected in the historically flexible texts of the canons, and in turn reflects the notable historical trajectory of the text, having been presented to Queen Elizabeth I, and newly edited with significant scholarship in the 18th century by Samuel Pegge.

In the first and last canons, each register is distinct, but in the second one the sopranos and altos sing at the same pitch level as do the tenors and basses. There it is acceptable to transpose the pitches of sung to the words “and draw them up” down an octave if it improves singability for the altos or basses as long as it is done for all who sing a given part. Although each of the canons can benefit from diverse instrumental doubling, the soprano and bass parts in the second canon in particular would be brought into higher relief by doubling all'8va and 8va basso, respectively.

New York Virtuoso Singers, Harold Rosenbaum director

Awarded Honorable Mention in the 2008 competition.

Printed Score for chorus (SATB)

SATB. Text in both modern and the original late Middle English. Cover plus 11pp including score, program note, performance indications, and enigmatic forms of the canons. Minimum duration: 4' 30"; maximum duration: forever. These are perpetual canons.

Item & Shipping Options score ($20), USPS($9) $29.00 USD Binding coil wire binding loose leaf, no binding (for libraries)

For distribution outside the USA, please contact the composer.