Court music in Scotland facts for kids
Court music in Scotland is all the music connected to the Scottish royal family. This type of music existed from the 900s until the 1700s. It slowly faded away after Scotland and England joined under one king in 1603 and then fully united in 1707.
In early times, people called filidh in Scotland and Ireland were poets, musicians, and historians. They often worked for kings or lords. Later, a group called bards took over these roles. They likely played the harp while reciting poetry. Kings like James I and James III brought new musical styles and instruments, such as the lute, to the Scottish court.
During the Renaissance, Scottish kings like James V loved music. He played the lute and brought French songs and groups of viol players to his court. Robert Carver was a famous Scottish composer from this time. When Mary, Queen of Scots, returned from France, she also brought French music and musicians. James VI continued to support music, but when he became King of England in 1603, much of the royal music support moved to London.
Music in Medieval Scotland
Early Scotland and Ireland shared a similar culture and language. In Ireland, there were filidh who were poets, musicians, and historians. They likely existed in Scotland too, working for kings and passing on Gaelic knowledge.
Around the time of King David I (who ruled from 1124 to 1153), the royal court started using French instead of Gaelic. After this change, a group called bards took over the filidh's jobs. These bards probably played the harp with their poetry. When King Alexander III met King Edward I of England, he had his own harp player with him. The Scottish king also had trumpeters and other musicians.
King James I was held captive in England from 1406 to 1423. He became known as a poet and composer there. When he returned to Scotland, he likely brought new English and European music styles to his court. One writer, Walter Bower, called him "another Orpheus" because he was so good at playing instruments like the organ, drum, flute, and lyre.
King James II also had some musical talent. His wife, Mary of Guelders, grew up in the Burgundian court, which was famous for its music. She brought new musical ideas to Scotland.
King James III loved music. He founded a large new Chapel Royal at Restalrig, near Holyrood Palace. This chapel was probably built for a big choir. Lute players started appearing in the royal records during James III's reign, with the first mention in 1474.
In 1501, James III's son, King James IV, rebuilt the Chapel Royal inside Stirling Castle. He made the choir bigger, hoping it would be as grand as the one at Windsor Castle in England. This chapel became a main center for church music in Scotland. When James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England, in 1503, it brought more English and European influences.
King James IV was said to always have music around him. He had French and Italian musicians. He even employed the first recorded Africans in Scotland, including an African drummer. James IV also played the lute himself. He played for his new wife, Margaret Tudor, who also knew how to play the lute and clavichord.
Music in the Early Modern Era
During the Renaissance, royal courts started using more instruments. King James V was a skilled lute player. He brought French songs and groups of viol players (instruments similar to violins) to his court. By 1538, he had four viol players in his household. His court had about two dozen musicians, including trumpeters, drummers, and string players.
The most important Scottish composer of the early 1500s was Robert Carver. He was a monk at Scone Abbey. His complex music needed a large, well-trained choir, like the one at the Chapel Royal in Stirling Castle. James V also supported other composers, like David Peebles.
When Mary, Queen of Scots, returned from France in 1561, she brought new energy to the Chapel Royal choir. She played the lute and virginals (a type of harpsichord) and was a good singer. She hired French lute and viol players for her household. She even sent someone to France to buy more lutes and viols.
Mary had a group of musicians who sang together. These included French, Italian, and English musicians. One of them was David Rizzio, who later became her private secretary until he was killed in 1566. Her marriage to Lord Darnley in 1565 brought members of the English Hudson family to her court. Several Hudsons became viol players and singers for her son, James VI.
James VI and the Union of the Crowns
King James VI (who ruled from 1566 to 1625) was a big supporter of the arts. In 1580, musicians performed in a special play called a masque at Holyrood Palace. The court musicians wore special costumes for this event.
James VI kept many musicians from his mother's court, including the Hudson family. William Hudson taught the young king how to dance in 1579. This shows that dances like the pavan and galliard, popular in England, were also danced in Scotland. James VI also had trumpeters.
In 1594, James VI rebuilt the Chapel Royal at Stirling for important events like his son Henry's baptism. He continued the tradition of having lute players for his private entertainment. His wife, Anne of Denmark, also had an English lute player.
When James VI became King of England in 1603, he moved to London. This event, called the Union of the Crowns, meant that Scotland lost a major source of royal support for music. The Chapel Royal in Scotland began to fall apart. The court in Westminster (London) became the main place for royal music.
Holyrood Abbey was fixed up as a chapel for King Charles I's visit in 1633. However, attempts to make Scottish church services more like English ones led to conflict. After a mob attacked the chapel, musical worship there stopped. King Charles II later reclaimed Holyrood, and it became a place of worship again in the 1680s. But it was attacked again in 1688 and never repaired.
