BBC - David Starkey's Music and Monarchy (2013) Part 2 Revolutions

David Starkey's Music and Monarchy

Historian David Starkey presents this documentary exploring the role Britain's kings and queens have played in shaping the nation's music. In much the same way as artists from other fields, musicians were often reliant on royal houses for patronage - with the vast resources possessed by the rulers of the nation often necessary to fund or stage the most ambitious projects. Starkey explores the influence of such patronage on the growth of music in Britain, tracing how even composers such as Purcell, Handel and Elgar were influenced by royal requirements, and the political significance of much of the resulting music.

Part 2: Revolutions

Dr David Starkey's exploration of how the monarchy shaped Britain's music reaches the 17th century, when religious conflict threatened not only the lives of musicians and monarchs, but the future of the monarchy and the glorious tradition of British music itself. And yet, in the midst of this upheaval, royalty presided over a series of musical breakthroughs - from the first chamber concerts and proto-operas, to the triumphant debut of the baroque orchestra. David also visits the Whitehall Banqueting House, home of the extravagant form which was the forerunner of opera in England - the court masque. And he explores how music was fought over by Puritans and Royalists - with the church organ proving a surprisingly bitter source of conflict.

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