 | |
| The Field of Cloth of Gold, British School, c. 1545 (probably commissioned by Henry VIII in remembrance of his glory days). Click on image to enlarge & view footnotes to learn more | Royal Collection Trust |
 |
| A young King Henry VIII, c. 1520, anon |
The objective of the meeting of the sovereign minds was to put an end to the seemingly never-ending conflict between the two historically rivaling kingdoms, with the overall hopeful aim of creating peace between all Christian nations.
The summit was orchestrated by the legate of England, Henry's alter rex, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. The King's Principal Councilor had shifted England to the forefront of those commendable nations skilled in diplomacy just two years earlier by drafting the Treaty of Universal Peace (otherwise known as the Treaty of London), a non-aggression pact co-signed by the representatives of the chief nations in Europe. A peaceful - and very public - meeting between the two Kings would go a long way toward reaffirming this newfound alliance.
 |
| A young François I, Roi de France, c. 1515, Jean Clouet |
English grandeur was majestically displayed through the erection of a temporary palace by Henry's reception. The brick-based, painted canvas structure sat on timber frames. Covered in gold and encrusted in colorful gemstones, the magnificent work of art was meticulously painted to mimic stone laid by the most skilled of masons. The structure was replete with panes made of real glass and with an oiled "slanted roof," which, if caught juste comme ça by the glint of the shimmering spring sun, gave spectators the illusion of finely laid slates.
The "palace" covered a massive area of some 12,000 square yards (10,000 mi²). Henry's display of luxury prompted one French spectator to label it "more precious than the amphitheatre of Caesar."
 |
| Unquestionably the grandest of the structures at the Field of Cloth of Gold: Henry VIII's magnificent temporary 'palace.' Each side of the faux castle measured 100 m long. Expertly painted in trompe-l'œil style to give the illusion of finely laid masonry and tile, real glazed windows were installed to add an extra realistic touch. So numerous were these panes, the French dubbed the structure "The Crystal Palace." A large courtyard sat in the middle of the structure. Directly in front, at R, stands a massive fountain overflowing with beer and red wine. Both nations brought an excessive amount of libations to the festivities: the English alone provided the equivalent of 266,000 bottles of wine and 132,000 bottles of beer. (Click on image to enlarge) | Royal Collection Trust |
For François' part, some 400 tents were erected, comprised of velvet and woven with thread of gold (giving rise to the coinage for the occasion, "The Field of Cloth of Gold"). The tents, which were considered by one eye-witness as being "more sumptuous than the pyramids of Egypt" were resplendent with decorative coats of arms and standards. François' tent - by far the largest and most grand of the lot - was "guarded" by a life-sized statue of the archangel Saint Michael.
Like his English counterpart, the French king traveled to the valley with a throng of high ranking noblemen, each of whom would display in a series of friendly tournaments against the opposing nation their skills in royal sport: as jousters, archers, and swordsmen - the two kings even partook in the recreations, famously challenging one another to a wrestle (which Henry lost).
 |
| Tapestry depicting wrestlers at The Field of Cloth of Gold. A bearded King François can be seen observing the pair above R, directly beneath him drapes an actual cloth made of gold. ca. 1520 (Click on image to enlarge) |
Each occasion, attended by the accepting of a formal invitation - the English requesting the company of the French, and vice versa - was a scene of grandiose spectacle. Feasting was no exception: inside the lavishly decorated 'dining hall' stretched a lengthy table (which could seat 200) from which men and women of high rank drank heartily (from a five-spouted fountain which flowed for five consecutive hours with copious amounts of red wine, no less) and supped on repeated courses of royal-standard cuisine - sheep, swan and porpoise - freshly served up on plates made of gold. According to one nobleman in attendance, "the abundance of food and wine being so great the people choked themselves."
A rousing time was had by all - even the French King François, following the completion of what would have been a massive meal, took to the dance 'floor,' taking the hand of the lady Monpezat, the inamorata of a hostage gifted to the French King by the English (long touted as the most beautiful of the land) and began to dance in the "Italian manner" to the sound of French fifes and trombones, brought in by François for the special occasion.
 |
| Tent of François I. The massive structure stood some 120ft tall, draped in cloth of gold and adorned at its peak with a 6ft tall gilded statue of St. Michael, patron saint of France. Directly in front, English and French retinues observe the royal embrace. Click to enlarge | Royal Collection Trust |
The English Consort, Queen Katherine of Aragon, was also in attendance, as was a heavily pregnant Queen Claude,[1] both taking in the majestic and resounding din of English trumpets. Collectively, over the course of the lengthy summit, the privileged company enjoyed the euphonic sounds of the tabor, pipe, and viol.
Henry's musicians would be led by the multi-skilled Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal, William Cornysh, whilst the esteemed Jean Mouton led the French musical efforts (those also in attendance included Robert Fayrfax of England and a young Claudin de Sermisy of France), as each nation sought to outdo one another, not only in sport but also in song.
Fueling the competitive spirit which coursed through the festivities, a now infamous, musical "duel" was issued as a challenge between the two kingdoms. Musical representatives from both kingdoms performed a series of the most lavish motets, culminating on the 24th of June with the celebration of High Mass, with choirs and musicians from both England and France being heard, each in their own turn, pitting against one another the highly virtuosic vocal stylings beloved by the English against the wind-infused style of sacred music for which France was renown.
Inside a specially constructed wooden chapel covered in an exquisite tapestry of gold (and furnished inside and out with gold and jewel encrusted ceremonial objects of such magnificence that even the Pope himself would blush) "the singers of the Kings of France and England...loudly and sumptuously sung."
The English began by intoning the Terce and first Introit - the French choir responding with the second, in addition to the Kyrie. Choristers from both nations continued to sing, one after one another in this fashion until the completion of the Mass.
Above: A "re-creation" (playlist) of the High Mass (preceded by an anonymous English pavane) that may have been heard at the final Mass at the Field of Cloth of Gold. Compiled by Denis Raisin Dadre and performed by the Doulce Mémoire ensemble, these selections pit English settings of the mass against the French, and include a Kyrie by French composer Claudin de Sermisy, who attended the festivities (track no. 4 in the playlist) and a stunning Gloria by English composer Nicholas Ludford (track no. 6). Over the course of Henry's reign, the number of musicians employed by the royal court swelled to 58, and included members from Italy and the Low Countries. Unlike royal patrons of musicians past, Henry did not view those in his employ as mere serfs or simple commoners. The monarch, as a skilled composer and musician himself (and one who almost constantly wanted music performed around him) paid those in his service well, and even surprised them with gifts and holiday bonuses. The king's most esteemed musician, Robert Fayrfax, who had been made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Henry's late father, king Henry VII, was treated especially well - Henry VIII granted the composer a £9 annuity (roughly £6,000) on a farm in Hampshire at the onset of his reign in 1509, and five years later granted him the title of a 'Poor Knight of Windsor' - a distinction which earned the composer a lifetime salary of 12 pennies per day (a not-insignificant sum for a musician earning a living in the 16th century). In one particularly generous gesture, the grateful king dished out £20 (equivalent to over £13,300 today) to Fayrfax in exchange for a "pricksong book" (a printed book of part-song or accompanied vocal music). The distribution of this largesse on behalf of the crown was in addition to the wages Fayrfax earned as a salaried member of the Chapel Royal.
As the Service drew to a close, the assembled crowd gazed towards the heavens, where high above the festivities, flew the final gift from Henry to François: a massive kite in the shape of a dragon, which soared across the sky, traveling from Ardres to Guînes. It was a glorious sight to behold: fully loaded with an arsenal of pyrotechnics, witnesses recount blazingly bright eyes on the makeshift creature, which audibly "hissed" from the mouth with each carefully timed firework detonation. The stretched canvas on wood flying art piece was an amalgamation of François’ salamander emblem and Henry’s Welsh Tudor dragon, thus uniting both symbols of majesty together, in a touching and symbolic gesture of peace.
 |
| Above: detail of the kite gifted from Henry to François (Click on image to enlarge) | Royal Collection Trust |
The costly spectacle at what would become known as the Camp du Drap d'Or, in the long run, did little to secure any semblance of lasting peace as promised by the summit's message of an international camaraderie among Christian states, as exemplified by (what should have been) a newfound, and persisting alliance between England and France.
The historical rivals, who had come together on that balmy June evening in 1520, seeking to make amends for their most recent series of diplomatic disasters (the English invasion of France in 1513, and the co-signing of a peace treaty by the powerful Emperor Maximilian I and François following the latter's success at the Battle of Marignano) would find themselves back at each other's throats just one year following the now infamous summit at the Field of Cloth of Gold, when the two sides once more engaged in battle.
With both kings still in the prime of their youths and both brooding with high ambitions of power, the friendly "warfare" that took place at Calais would again become all too real as blood once more began to spill across European sodded fields. What started with a warm embrace would thus find its end as little more than a footnote in the annals of international diplomacy: as a brief - and extremely costly - period of blissful détente among natural enemies.
N.B.,
Whilst much has been written about this momentous occasion and many contemporary accounts survive, little is known in regard to the specific music performed at the Camp du Drap d'Or. A brief reference to a "Perino" - an otherwise unknown composer - was referenced by the Mantuan ambassador at the court of France, although scholars reject this conclusion, relegating it to a mis-translation of the original tongue. Whether Wolsey, who is widely noted as having "said Mass" in fact sang during the service is likewise a matter of (modern) conjecture, although it is believed Robert Fayrfax did participate in the choir. Festive music would have included the then-fashionable French chanson and the English pavane, in addition to instrumental folk music, employed by the use of the pipe and tabor, as was common during celebratory occasions during both the medieval and renaissance eras.
Contemporary reports are extant - many of which can be found, in lavish detail, in the Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts, Relating to English Affairs, vol. III, as seen, and bookmarked for the reader below:
Above: digitally archived copy of the third volume of the Calendar of state papers and manuscripts, relating to English affairs existing in the archives and collection of Venice, and in other libraries of northern Italy. Click here to read directly on archive.org.
The reference to "Perino" occurs on page 75 proper (244 on the above archived digital copy). It reads thusly:
"The choristers of the two chapels of France and England sang this mass; the music by Perino, accompanied by an organ, with trombones and cornets" ("E la musica de Perino, tromboni e cornetti")
Footnotes:
- Rose.[1]Included among the French consort's retinue was a ~19 year old Anne Boleyn, (b. ca. 1501 - 1507) who served as translator to Queen Claude. Anne had previously served as maid of honor to Henry VIII's sister Mary during the latter's marriage to Louis XII of France in October 1514, and later, through the same royal connection, she would repeat the privilege, serving as maid of honor to Mary's 15-year old stepdaughter, the aforementioned Queen Claude. The future English Queen would remain in the household of Queen Claude for some seven years. Anne would make her fateful journey from Calais into England just two and a half years following the summit at the Field of Cloth of Gold, where she would eventually wed Henry VIII, effectively becoming the second Queen of England under his rule in 1533. It was a role that would be tragically short-lived: Anne would be executed at London's infamous Tower Green just shy of three years into her reign in May of 1536.
*The painting seen at the top of this post, The Field of Cloth of Gold, was probably commissioned by Henry VIII in remembrance of his glory days. The stunning piece depicts multiple events which occurred over 18 days during the festival. Henry can be seen twice - in the lower left foreground on horseback, and in the central background, in front of the tent of the French king - commemorating his procession and the royal embrace at the Val d'Or, respectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment