Early Flowering Music for Henry V and the House of Lancaster - heard by ROBERT ANDERSON 'The six voices of the Binchois Consort are equally happy when heard one by one or as a group.'

In my musical salad days I associated Henry V only with the Agincourt carol, when 'Owre Kynge went forth to Normandy' and proceeded towards marriage with his 'Kate' (see Shakespeare) and likely inheritance of the French kingdom. Having organised Paris to his satisfaction, he paid his respects to a number of holy sites in England, including Bridlington with its personal St John, but through his early death left it to his boy-king son, Henry VI, actually to be crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral and duly offend the French a year before Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.

Yet Henry V deserves a notable place in musical history...

HYPERION

ENGLAND