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Deanne Williams is professor in English at York University, a Fellow of the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies and a member of the College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada. She was dramaturge for our production of Comus, has written extensively on girl performers in the Early Modern Period and dedicates a chapter to Milton’s character of The Lady in her book Shakespeare and the Performance of Girlhood published by Palgrave. In this episode she discusses what she learned about Milton, Comus, The Lady and the Brothers in preparing our performance. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

Director Heather Davies and theorbo player and artistic director John Edwards chat about the music in John Milton's masque Comus and especially about the dance music of masques in general, and the dances of William Lawes which we used in our production. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

Director Heather Davies and theorbo player and artistic director John Edwards chat about the music in John Milton's masque Comus and especially about the original songs by Henry Lawes. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

Actor Bethany Jillard chats about  playing the part of The Lady, a role first played by Alice Egerton, the teenaged daughter of  the Earl of Bridgewater, and the similarities and differences between preparing for this role from John Milton's Comus and her experience playing Shakespeare’s women.  Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist. As a company member with the Stratford Festival in Canada for five seasons, Bethany’s credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Beaux’ Stratagem, Othello, The Three Musketeers, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, The Little Years, Dangerous Liaisons and Peter Pan. Regional credits include Othello (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Seagull, After Miss Julie and the world premiere of Gone with the Wind (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); How It Works, The Little Years and Cake and Dirt (Tarragon Theatre); My Name Is Rachel Corrie (Theatre PANIK); A Man of No Importance (Acting Up Stage Company); That Face (Canadian Stage Company/Nightwood Theatre) and Tough! (Factory Theatre). Her film and television credits include If I Were You with Marcia Gay Harden (Paragraph Pictures), Murdoch Mysteries (Shaftesbury Films), Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures (The Movie Network), Rookie Blue (ABC) and I Love You ... But I Lied (Lifetime). She is a graduate of the University of Toronto and The Birmingham Conservatory for classical theatre training. Ms. Jillard moonlights as a singer in the band Notes from Underground alongside her husband, Aaron, who is her rock, her inspiration and her joy.

Director Heather Davies discusses the special challenges of the masque form, Milton’s verse and the rehearsal process in the time of covid with John Edwards. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist. Heather Davies was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. She’s trained as a dancer, singer, actor and musician and has worked professionally since her teens. Heather moved to the UK to continue her actor training; she lived and worked in theatre there for 18 years. In 2001 she began focusing on directing full-time when she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company as a resident director, working there for nearly three years. She returned to Canada in 2007 to attend the MFA- Theatre program at York University, graduating in April 2009. From September 2009 to February 2011 she was the Artistic Associate at The Grand Theatre in London Ontario. She continues to enjoy directing, writing, teaching and adapting in the UK and across Canada. In 2017 Heather became the first Artistic Director of The Ryga Festival, (inspired by renowned Canadian writer, George Ryga) in Summerland, BC and directing Colours in the Storm at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. In 2018, as well as returning to Summerland, Heather’s stage adaptation, Judith: memories of a Lady Pig Farmer, (based on the original novel, Judith, by Alberta writer Ardith Van Herk), will premiere at the Blyth Festival. Other projects in development include Silverfish (an original play about economic migration) and the stage adaptation of Night Desk, (novel by George Ryga).

The second Corant in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  The saraband was a fast vigourous dance when first introduced to the dance suite from the guitar repertoire. We used the Set in F for the dances of the Egerton children in our performance of John Milton's masque Comus. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

The second Corant in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  
Another Corant from the suite we used for the dances of the Egerton children in our performance of John Milton's masque Comus. 
Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

The third Alman in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  
We used Lawes' Royal Consort Set 9, a dance suite heavy in Almans, the favourite dance of court masque, as the dances for the Egerton children for our performance of John Milton's domestic masque Comus. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

The first Corant in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  
We used Lawes' Royal Consort Set 9 as the dances for the Egerton children  for our performance of John Milton's masque Comus. An Alman type dance is usually followed by a faster triple time dance in Jacobean court masques. By Lawes’ time the French influence of the courante can be heard in such dances. 
Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

The second Alman in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  We used Lawes' Royal Consort Set 9 as the dances for the Egerton children  for our performance of John Milton's masque Comus. The Alman or Allemande was the staple dance for Stuart court masques. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

The first Alman in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  We used Lawes' Royal Consort Set 9 as the dances for the Egerton children  for our performance of John Milton's masque Comus. The Alman or Allemande was the staple dance for Stuart court masques. This alman is labelled 'Aire' in some sources. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.

A Pavan in F from Royal Consorts Set 9 by by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  The stately Pavan was used as an entrance dance in the 16th and 17th century and we used this as an 'overture' for our performance of John Milton's Comus. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist. 

Two Morris Dances from William Lawes' Royal Consorts (Sets No. 5 & 6 in D maj.) that we used for the 'Country Dances &c' in our performance of John Milton's Comus. Visit https://musiciansinordinary.ca/episodes to click through the series and download mp3s to add to your music playlist.  The Musicians In Ordinary string band is led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo. 

The Antic dances of a masque were performed by professional dancers using preposterous gestures in the guise of some sort of subhuman species such as witches, apes or, in the case of John Milton's Comus, the entourage of the god of revelry 'a rout of monsters like men and women but headed like wild beasts their apparel glistering'. An orphaned piece labelled 'Antic' by William Lawes (1602-1645) exists in a manuscript in two parts, treble and bass - here it is played with inner parts for 2nd violin and bass viol by Christopher Verrette. You will then hear a corant from Lawes' Royal Consort Set No. 5 in D maj. which has held notes in all parts at the beginning calling to mind The Witches' Dance from Macbeth and the Masque of Queens by Robert Johnson of the previous generation of masque music. The Musicians In Ordinary string band is led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo. 

A Pavan by William Lawes (1602-1645) is played by The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  This pavan quotes John Dowland's 'Lachrimae' theme, which had become a musical emblem for melancholy, at the beginning and alludes to Dowland's earlier pavan throughout. Check back to our 'Board Lutebook' episodes to hear a performance of Dowland's lute model.  Lawes' piece exists in a version in c minor for viols and organ. 

John Milton's Comus (Bridgewater manuscript version), with the original songs set by Henry Lawes and dance music by William Lawes, directed by Heather Davies, performed by Roger Honeywell - Attendant Spirit, Paul Hopkins - Comus, Bethany Jillard - The Lady, Tracy Ryan - Elder Brother, Beryl Bain - Second Brother, and Tahirih Vejdani - Sabrina, with The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  (Sc. 1) The scene changes to a stately palace set out with all manner of deliciousness, soft music, tables spread with all dainties. Comus appears with his rabble, and the Lady set in an enchanted chair, to whom he offers his glass; which she puts by, and goes about to rise.  (Sc.2) The scene changes, then is presented Ludlow town and the President's castle, then come in country dances, and the like etc. Towards the end of these sports the Dæmon with the 2 brothers and the Lady come in. 

John Milton's Comus (Bridgewater manuscript version), with the original songs set by Henry Lawes and dance music by William Lawes, directed by Heather Davies, performed by Roger Honeywell - Attendant Spirit, Paul Hopkins - Comus, Bethany Jillard - The Lady, Tracy Ryan - Elder Brother, Beryl Bain - Second Brother and Tahirih Vejdani - Sabrina, with The Musicians In Ordinary string band led by Christopher Verrette, 1st vln. with Patricia Ahern, 2nd vln. Felix Deak and Laura Jones, violas da gamba and John Edwards, theorbo.  The first scene discovers a wild wood. Then a guardian spirit or Dæmon descends or enters. 

Lutenist John Edwards plays Dump Philli from the Marsh Lutebook. Pieces called 'Dump' are often memorial pieces and are often built on ground basses of as few as two notes, as is this one. In a much earlier, and much shorter version this piece is titled 'Arthur's Dump' and it has been suggested that this is a memorial piece for court lutenist Arthur Dewes by his colleague Philip van Wilder. These podcasts are supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Spem in Alium Fund of the Toronto Foundation.

Tracy Ryan reads 'With how sad steps, O Moon, Sonnet 31 from Sir Philip Sidney's Astrophel and Stella, in original pronunciation of the time of Shakespeare and Sidney. These podcasts are supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Spem in Alium Fund of the Toronto Foundation. Pronunciation prepared by Hallie Fishel.

Lutenist John Edwards plays Anthony Holborne's sombre pavan 'The Countiss of pembruth fineralle' as it is called in Jane Pickeringe's Lutebook, from which this highly decorated version is taken. The Countess of Pembroke is Lady Mary Sidney, whose father and brother died the same year. These podcasts are supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Spem in Alium Fund of the Toronto Foundation.