Henry VIII

1509-47 AD
Henry VIII, born in 1491, was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The significance of Henry's reign is, at times, overshadowed by his six marriages: dispensing with these forthwith enables a deeper search into the major themes of the reign. He married Catherine of Aragon (widow of his brother, Arthur) in 1509, divorcing her in 1533; the union produced one daughter, Mary. Henry married the pregnant Anne Boleyn in 1533; she gave him another daughter, Elizabeth, but was executed for infidelity ( a treasonous charge in the king's consort) in May 1536. He married Jane Seymour by the end of the same month, who died giving birth to Henry's lone male heir, Edward, in October 1536. Early in 1540, Henry arranged a marriage with Anne of Cleves, after view ing Hans Holbein's beautiful portrait of the German princess. In person, alas, Henry found her homely and the marriage was never consummated. In July 1540, he married the adulterous Catherine Howard - she was executed for infidelity in March 1542. Catherine Parr became his wife in 1543, providing for the needs of both Henry and his children until his death in 1547. The court life initiated by his father evolved into a cornerstone of Tudor government in the reign of Henry VIII. After his father's staunch, s tolid rule, the energetic, youthful and handsome king avoided governing in person, much preferring to journey the countryside hunting and reviewing his subjects. Matters of state were left in the hands of others, most notably Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York. Cardinal Wolsey virtually ruled England until his failure to secure the papal annulment that Henry needed to marry Anne Boleyn in 1533. Wolsey was quite capable as Lord Chancellor, but his own interests were served more than that of the king: as power ful as he was, he still was subject to Henry's favor - losing Henry's confidence proved to be his downfall. The early part of Henry's reign, however, saw the young king invade France, defeat Scottish forces at the Battle of Foldden Field (in which James IV of Scotland was slain), and write a treatise denouncing Martin Luther's Reformist ideals, for which the pope awarded Henry the title "Defender of the Faith". The 1530's witnessed Henry's growing involvement in government, and a series of events which gre atly altered England, as well as the whole of Western Christendom: the separation of the Church of England from Roman Catholicism. The separation was actually a by-product of Henry's obsession with producing a male heir; Catherine of Aragon failed to produ ce a male and the need to maintain dynastic legitimacy forced Henry to seek an annulment from the pope in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Wolsey tried repeatedly to secure a legal annulment from Pope Clement VII, but Clement was beholden to the Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and nephew of Catherine. Henry summoned the Reformation Parliament in 1529, which passed 137 statutes in seven years and exercised an influence in political and ecclesiastic affairs which was unknown to feudal parliaments. Religious reform movements had already taken hold in England, but on a small scale: the Lollards had been in existence since the mid-fourteenth century and the ideas of Luther and Zwingli circulated within intellectual groups, but continental Protestantism had yet to find f avor with the English people. The break from Rome was accomplished through law, not social outcry; Henry, as Supreme Head of the Church of England, acknowledged this by slight alterations in worship ritual instead of a wholesale reworking of religious dogma. England moved into an era of "conformity of mind" with the new royal supremacy (much akin to the absolutism of France's Louis XIV): by 1536, all ecclesiastical and government officials were required to publicly approve of the break with Rome and take an oath of loyalty. The king moved away from the medieval idea of ruler as chief lawmaker and overseer of civil behavior, to the modern idea of ruler as the ideological icon of the state. The remainder of Henry's reign was anticlimactic. Anne Boleyn lasted only three years before her execution; she was replaced by Jane Seymour, who laid Henry's dynastic problems to rest with the birth of Edward VI. Fragmented noble factions involved in the Wars of the Roses found themselves reduced to vying for the king's fa vor in court. Reformist factions won the king's confidence and vastly benefiting from Henry's dissolution of the monasteries, as monastic lands and revenues went either to the crown or the nobility. The royal staff continued the rise in status that began u nder Henry VII, eventually to rival the power of the nobility. Two men, in particular, were prominent figures through the latter stages of Henry's reign: Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer. Cromwell, an efficient administrator, succeeded Wolsey as Lord Cha ncellor, creating new governmental departments for the varying types of revenue and establishing parish priest's duty of recording births, baptisms, marriages a nd

deaths. Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, dealt with and guided changes in ecclesiastical po licy and oversaw the dissolution of the monasteries. Henry VIII built upon the innovations instituted by his father. The break with Rome, coupled with an increase in governmental bureaucracy, led to the royal supremacy that would last until the execution of Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth one hundred years after Henry's death. Henry was beloved by his subjects, facing only one major insurrection, the Pilgrimage of Grace, enacted by the northernmost counties in retaliation to the break w ith Rome and the poor economic state of the region. History remembers Henry in much the same way as Piero Pasqualigo, a Venetian ambassador: "... he is in every respect a most accomplished prince."

To learn more about the Families of Instruments and hear their sounds, click the links below.
Brass Family Keyboard Family Percussion Family French horn, trombone, trumpet, tuba Celesta, harpsichord, organ, piano, synthesizer Drum set, timpani, xylophone

String Family Woodwind Family

Cello, harp, string bass, viola, violin Bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone

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Brass Family French horn: This instrument was once carried on horseback during fox hunts. It is thought to be the most difficult brass instrument to play. The left hand plays the valves and the right hand is inserted into the bell. Its tone blends equally well with woodwind and brass instruments.

Trombone: This instrument can slide from one note to another. It is played in the bass clef. Unlike the other brass instruments, it has no valves.

Trumpet: This is the most popular of all the brass instruments, and one of the oldest. It can play very high notes. It can change its sound by inserting a mute into the bell. Long ago kings and queens would announce their arrival with trumpets playing a fanfare. Tuba: This is the lowest sounding brass instrument. It is also the largest member of the brass family. The tuba uses valves and its cup-shaped mouthpiece to change pitches. It sits in the back of the orchestra. A cousin of the tuba is the sousaphone, which is a tuba with a different shape. The

sousaphone is used for parades and was invented by John Philip Sousa.

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Keyboard Family Celesta: This has a beautiful, sparkling sound. Most people recognize the sound, but usually don't know that they're hearing a celesta. Tchaikovsky used this instrument in his ballet, The Nutcracker.

Harpsichord: This keyboard instrument was very popular during the Baroque period. It came before the piano. Its strings are plucked. It looks like a piano, but sounds very different from a piano.

Organ: This keyboard instrument is almost always found in churches. It is also found in grand concert halls. A long time ago air had to be pumped into the bellows to produce sound. Today electricity does the job. Some organs can have two, three, or four keyboards. The lowest notes are played by having the feet push down on peddles. An organ today can cost over a million dollars!

Piano: This instrument is over 300 years old. It is the most popular of all the keyboard instruments. Lots of music has been written for it. It also comes in different sizes from small to grand. Hammers strike the strings to make it sound.

Synthesizer: This is a computer that makes music. It is the newest of all keyboard instruments. It first appeared in the 1950's. With its keyboard and switches, it can sound like any instrument you choose. It can even make up sounds that haven't ever been heard before!

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Percussion Family

Drum set: This includes the bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, castanets, triangle, gong, and other percussion instruments like the wood block. These instruments are found in most rock, pop, and jazz bands. Timpani: These copper-colored drums are also called the kettle drums because they look like big kettles. Each drum plays a different note.

Orchestras usually have from two to four timpani.

Xylophone: Mallets strike wooden bars to produce different pitches.

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String Family Cello: You have to site down and hold this instrument between your knees to play this mellow instrument. It has a rich sound and can play a wide range of notes. Like the other members of its family, it has four strings.

Harp: This is the instrument of the angels. It has 47 strings and seven pedals. It is played by plucking the strings with the fingers of both hands. These instruments are found in almost every size and in every culture on the planet. Harps have been around for thousands of years.

String bass: This instrument stands over six feet tall and is the lowest sounding instrument in the string family. It is a popular instrument

for many different styles of music, including symphonic, jazz, bluegrass, and rock. The string bass is similar in pitch to a bass guitar.

Viola: This instrument looks like the twin brother of the violin, but it's a bit bigger with a slightly lower sound. You probably could not tell the difference between the violin and viola unless you put them side by side.

Violin: This is the most popular instrument in the string family. It has a high, brilliant sound. It is the smallest instrument in the string family. There are more violins in a symphony orchestra than any other instrument. Back to top

Woodwind Family

Bassoon: This is the largest of the woodwind instruments. It has the lowest pitch. Some people think of this instrument as the clown of the orchestra. It is a double reed instrument.

Clarinet: It is a single reed instrument. This instrument has a rich, round sound and a wide range of notes. The clarinet can play in the low register, where the notes are rich and full. It can play in the middle register. It can also play in the high register.

Flute: This silver instrument has a high, bright sound. Air is blown into a small hole to produce its joyful sound. It is made of metal, even though it is in the woodwind family. Long ago it used to be made of wood. The instrument is found in cultures throughout the world. It is one of the oldest and most popular instruments in the history of music.

Oboe: The orchestra tunes to this instrument. It has a nasal, piercing sound and uses a double reed. The oboe gives the orchestra its note when tuning before a concert.

Saxophone: This is the newest of the woodwind instruments. It looks like it belongs in the brass family because of its golden color. It is a reed instrument and is popular in pop, jazz, and rock bands. It is also being used more in symphonic music. It got its name from its inventor, Mr. Adolphe Sax.