Music in Shakespeare’s Theatre
The fourth plenary session of the 2016 World Shakespeare Congress saw Claire Van Kampen (founding Director of Music at the Globe) and Bill Barclay (current Director of Music) explore and demonstrate original music practices in the Globe Theatre, with the aid of Globe actors and musicians.
Bill Barclay invited delegates to:
‘experience the unique DNA of the Globe. The theatre is a participatory space where everyone can be seen. Audiences came to the Globe to see and be seen, to hear and to be heard. The first ten years exploring this space has allowed us to reflect the original experience back to a modern audience. Claire has revealed the ravishingly sensual beauty of music and the instruments in this space.’
Claire guided us through the plethora of trumpet calls Shakespeare uses throughout his plays; alarums, parlays, senate, with demonstrations of each trumpet call echoing around the theatre:
‘The Globe Theatre functions as an instrument, a piece of music. The musicians gallery is the intermediary space between the heavens and the earth. Shakespeare also places music in the infernal space below the stage. The Globe is a harmonic theatre: the instruments of the Renaissance period work in harmony with the acoustics of the theatre.’
The session concluded with an exploration of music in Antony & Cleopatra, in particular in Act 4:3, where the soldiers hear ominous music before battle coming from beneath the stage:
Fourth Soldier. Here we: and if to-morrow
Our navy thrive, I have an absolute hope
Our landmen will stand up.Third Soldier.‘Tis a brave army,
And full of purpose.[Music of the hautboys as under the stage]
Fourth Soldier. Peace! what noise?
First Soldier. List, list!
Second Soldier. Hark!
First Soldier. Music i’ the air.
Third Soldier. Under the earth.
Fourth Soldier. It signs well, does it not?
Third Soldier. No.
First Soldier. Peace, I say!
What should this mean?Second Soldier. 'Tis the god Hercules, whom Antony loved,
Now leaves him.First Soldier. Walk; let’s see if other watchmen
Do hear what we do?[They advance to another post]
Second Soldier. How now, masters!
All. [Speaking together] How now!
How now! do you hear this?First Soldier. Ay; is’t not strange?
Third Soldier. Do you hear, masters? do you hear?
First Soldier. Follow the noise so far as we have quarter;
Let’s see how it will give off.All. Content. 'Tis strange.
The 2016 World Shakespeare Congress runs from Sunday 31 July to Saturday 6 August, and celebrates Shakespeare’s memory and the global cultural legacy of his works during this quatercentenary year. The Congress takes place both in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, and welcomes delegates from around the world to share in a range of cultural and intellectual opportunities in the places where Shakespeare was born, acted, wrote and died.
Find out more about the Congress.
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