Clarke Suite of Ayres for the Theatre

Instrumentation: Trumpet, Strings, Bc, Oboes ad lib.
Parts included: Trumpet in D, Trumpet in C, Strings+Oboes 4324, Bc, Score
Difficulty (I-VI): IV
Series: Music for the King's Trumpeter
Editor: Crispian Steele-Perkins

Jeremiah Clarke
Jeremiah Clarke's achievements were and to a certain extent still are overshadowed by the tragedy of his life. His best known melodies have been attributed to Henry Purcell for much too long, his pupils recollected only an illtempered, impatient man. He was brought up as one of the 12 boy choristers (Children) of the Chapel Royal and was subsequently appointed to Winchester College in 1692. In 1695 he moved to St.Paul's Cathedral and was employed at the Theatre Royal, Catherine Street (off Drury Lane) after this time. He composed two operas and numerous catchy tunes, keyboard transcriptions of which he carefully transcribed himself (see above). His rousing marches and airs belie a depressive personality: spurned by a female pupil, he shot himself at his house in St.Paul's Churchyard.

Suite of Ayres for the Theatre :Sources
Trumpet Song: British Library (BL) London, Add.MS 15318 This is the "Second Act Tune" from the semiopera "The Island Princess" with music by Clarke, Daniel Purcell and Leveridge; the tune is well known from other versions, but in this simple fourpart harmonisation no trumpet part is actually specified.
Slow Air: BL KlOa (16) Published in 1711 by King, Young and Hare.
Rondo: BLAdd.MS 15318 Taken from "The Island Princess", this brief instrumental interlude rests the trumpet and introduces the listener to a different key.
Cibell BLAdd.MS 15318 This rare and beautiful piece of writing for the trumpet appears in the appendix to "The Island Princess", originally in two parts.
The Gigue: BLAdd. MS 39565/7; 30839 From the PartBooks of "Suite de Clerk" in the British Library
The Serenade BL K314 This also appears in the above mentioned part books and numerous other sources; it appears to have been a particularly popular piece.
Minuett: Royal College of Music Library, London Published by Walsh in 1702
RoundO: BL K314 Also in the part books containing the Gigue and the Serenade; sometimes known as "The Prince of Denmark's March", it was mistakenly popularised for many years as "Purcell's Trumpet Voluntary".

For further details see "Music for the King's Trumpeter"

Some covers have differing designs.