Old measures
Encyclopedia
Old measures, or simply measures, were a group of dances performed at ceremonial and festive occasions in Early Modern Britain
. Some of the dances included in the measures were the pavane
and the almain, and dances such as the galliard
and the courante
are also mentioned as accompanying or following the traditional measures.
The measures are associated with the Inns of Court
, the English law schools, as most of the extant sources have been found among the papers of lawyers and law students at the Inns. They are also mentioned in Shakespeare plays such as As You Like It
(Act V, scene 4), Richard II
(Act III, scene 4), Richard III
(Act I, scene 1).
One must be wary when one encounters 16th-and 17th-century references to measure or measures, as a measure could refer to a bar (music)
, or generically to dancing, as well as to this specific group of dances.
Early Modern Britain
Early modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain, roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Major historical events in Early Modern British history include the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the...
. Some of the dances included in the measures were the pavane
Pavane
The pavane, pavan, paven, pavin, pavian, pavine, or pavyn is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century .A pavane is a slow piece of music which is danced to in pairs....
and the almain, and dances such as the galliard
Galliard
The galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others....
and the courante
Courante
The courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple metre dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era....
are also mentioned as accompanying or following the traditional measures.
The measures are associated with the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
, the English law schools, as most of the extant sources have been found among the papers of lawyers and law students at the Inns. They are also mentioned in Shakespeare plays such as As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
(Act V, scene 4), Richard II
Richard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
(Act III, scene 4), Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
(Act I, scene 1).
One must be wary when one encounters 16th-and 17th-century references to measure or measures, as a measure could refer to a bar (music)
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
, or generically to dancing, as well as to this specific group of dances.
The Dances
While sources differ in some of the details, and not all contain all the dances, the vast majority describe the following dances in the following order (alman, almaine, alleymayne, etc. refer to the same dance type):- Quadran Pavan
- Turkeylone
- Earl of Essex (or Earl of Essex Measure)
- Tinternell
- Old Alman
- Queen's Almaine
- Madam Sosilia Alman (or Madam Cecilia Alman)
- Black Almaine
Manuscript Sources
- Bodleian Library, Rawl. Poet. 108 (c. 1570)
- British Library, Harley 367
- Bodleian Library, Douce 280 (c. 1606)
- Bodleian Library, Rawl. D. 864 (c. 1630)
- Inner Temple Library, Miscellanea Vol. XXVII (mid to late 17th c.)
- Royal College of Music, Ms. 1119 (mid to late 17th c.)