Fiona Kisby – författare

This interdisciplinary collection examines musical culture in urban centres in Renaissance Europe and the New World. Although musicologists have indeed already investigated such topics, lack of familiarity with (urban) historical methodologies has often resulted in failure to explore fully the ways in which the urban environment had an impact on musical activity of all kinds; neither is this question adequately addressed by urban historians. This book thus aims to integrate musicological and urban-historical approaches. To urban historians it shows the range of work undertaken by music historians; to musicologists it presents some different approaches, questions and perspectives which suggest new lines of enquiry for future investigations. Not only does this book contribute to musicology, but it also adds considerably to urban history scholarship.

Compiled by scholars with unrivalled knowledge of the sources, this dictionary provides biographies of all musicians and instrument makers employed by the English court from 1485-1714. A number of the musicians featured here have never previously received a dictionary entry. Coverage of these minor figures helps to flesh out the picture of musical life in the court in a way which individual studies of more major composers cannot. In addition to basic biographical details, entries feature information on: appointments; probate material; family background; heraldry; signatures and holograph documents; subscriptions to books; bibliographic references. A finding-list of variant names, details of the succession of court places assumed by musicians and an index of subjects and place names completes this comprehensive reference work.