John Jenkins - Newark Siege

By: John Jenkins arr Peter Reeve

John Jenkins (1592 - 1678) was the most distinguished violist of his day. He was Court Composer to both Charles I and II, but spent most of his life in residence with the highly influential North family in Norfolk. His output was prodigious, consisting of the then popular fantasia for viols, written in the Italian style, plus songs, rounds, catches and rants.

The town of Newark served as one of the most important Royalist bases in the East Midlands and was, in consequence, besieged on a number of occasions during the Civil War. It is likely that this piece was inspired by the last and longest siege which lasted from November 1645 until May 1646, when Charles I ordered the towns surrender. By this time Newark had become, according to a contemporary account, a miserable, stinking, infected town.

Newark Siege was written as a fantasia for five viols and is a piece of pure music theatre depicting the sorties, sallies, and ensuing battles between the two sides. All notes are original. Peter Reeve has added the drum part, tempo markings and dynamics.