Bach Lovers Press

by Christine Headley

BOTH THE PRINT BOOK AND THE E-BOOK ARE NOW AVAILABLE

Without counter-tenor Alfred Deller, the Early Music Revival would have been very different. In this book, Christine Headley explores the background to early music, Deller’s life and career, the story of Stour Music and the parallel evolution of the Early Music Revival from the world of Arnold Dolmetsch and Nadia Boulanger, through Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Class of 1973 to the wide range of ensembles performing today.

As well as a rich narrative, the book features themed chapters on Purcell’s Come, Ye Sons of Art (the work which made Deller’s name in 1947), Dowland songs, Handel’s Messiah and Tallis’s ‘Spem in Alium’ as well as the counter-tenor voice, John Ward (who contributed so much to Stour Music visually), and the venues used by the festival.

464 pages, with more than 70 illustrations

Mark Deller writes: ‘I am delighted to commend this carefully researched book, which not only records Alfred’s pioneering work in reviving the lost art of the counter-tenor voice, and the development of the Stour Music festival over the past fifty-seven years, but also provides a snapshot of the whole early music revival in England in the second half of the 20th century and beyond.’

AVAILABILITY

To get hold of the 40-page index, follow the link below or write to Bach Lovers Press, 181 The Gateway, Dover, Kent CT16 1LL.

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For more information write to us at the address above or e-mail info@bachlovers.co.uk

The book is not yet in stock with the wholesalers who supply good bookshops and libraries. If you ask your favourite bookshop for a copy, they should be able to get their wholesaler to order one from us. The ISBN is 978 1 9164640 0 1. If enough people ask, the wholesalers will decide to stock it. We are always happy to supply copies ourselves, from 181 The Gateway, Dover, Kent CT16 1LL. Cheques payable to Christine Headley, please as Bach Lovers is too small for its own bank account.

Christine Headley

Christine was brought up in Ashford, where her parents were founder patrons of Stour Music.

She has spent most of her working life in and around publishing, latterly as a freelance providing editorial services, particularly indexes, to publishers. Between 1982 and 1985 she worked for European Music Year.

Christine has two BAs, having studied German, Russian and Law for a London External degree at the then Birmingham Polytechnic, and subsequently taken fifteen years to accumulate an Honours degree from the Open University. The latter covered a wide swathe of arts and social sciences, but courses in music and the history and culture of Renaissance / Reformation Europe were particularly helpful when researching this book.

Christine has been a member of three local councils, stood for Parliament in Ashford in 1992, and spent a memorable six years on the General Committee of the Kent County Cricket Club.

Christine has two grown-up daughters and, after more than twenty years in Gloucestershire, now overlooks the Dover Strait.