MUCH of the music discussed in this book dates from after Lawes’s appointment to the ‘Lutes, Viols and Voices’ (LVV), and strongly suggests (1) that the music was composed for members of that group and (2) that although Lawes did not hold an official place as a composer, composition was one of his duties. Between 1625 and 1642 there were three official composer posts associated with the LVV. The first was held (until 1642) by Thomas Ford. Alfonso Ferrabosco II held the second, replacing Coprario in 1626. After his death in 1628 Ferrabosco was replaced by his son Henry. Henry served until 1642, and no music by him has survived. Thomas Lupo held posts as composer to the LVV and to the violin band until his death, also in 1628. Stephen Nau filled the latter post. Lupo’s place as composer to the LVV does not appear to have been officially filled, despite the petitions of Robert Johnson (see Chapter 1). Nevertheless, this is unlikely to have had much bearing on the duties expected of members of the LVV; the official title of a court appointment did not always accurately reflect the functions of that post. The post of composer probably implied responsibility for compiling the group’s repertoire (in addition to actual composition); to some extent the posts may have been nominal.

Lawes composed in many of the forms established by Coprario, whose music was still performed at the court in the 1630s. The music composed by Lawes after 1635, however, suggests that musical tastes were gradually changing. The most obvious result of this is Lawes’s incorporation of elaborate divisions into several of his consort pieces. Divisions were not new. The way in which Lawes used divisions as a compositional tool was new, and seems to be closely related to changing functions of many of his pieces. The Royall Consort seems to have begun as functional dance music before moving towards the realms of Tafelmusik by the incorporation of the ‘two breakinge Bases’ . The ‘new’ version Royall Consort appears to have had a flexible performance function; one can easily imagine florid divisions being extemporized in a concert-like situation, prefaced by the fine fantasias and pavans.