In 2015 Pegasus returned to Winchelsea to mark the 600th anniversary of the battle of Agincourt, and the 400th anniversary of an even more decisive battle between the French and the English which took place about 200km away from Agincourt, in Waterloo.
The fame of the Battle of Agincourt, in 1415, rings down through the ages, “not least to English ears”, in the words of Shakespeare’s Henry V. Four hundred years later, an even more decisive Anglo-Celtic battle took place less than 150 miles from Agincourt, at Waterloo, in 1815.
The programme used these two great historical events as bookends and reference points. Pegasus sang a selection of folksongs, or “chansons”, and sacred pieces written by both French and English composers. Amongst these included Claude Débussy’s popular Trois Chansons (setting texts by Charles d’Orléans, who was captured by the English at Agincourt), and Ah, Robyn by English composer William Cornysh, (which featured in the television adaptation of Wolf Hall.)The programme also included Jean Mouton’s Nesciens Mater and Clement Jannequin’s La Guerre, alongside works by Lheritier, Dufay and Josquin.
See the bottom of this page for a link to the printed programme.
Director: Matthew Altham
Organ: Martin Toyer
Programme:
Anon – Agincourt Carol, Deo Gracias Anglia
Anon – L’homme armé
Josquin des Prez – Agnus Dei from Missa L’homme armé sexti toni
Guillaume Dufay – Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae
Antoine Brumel – Lamentations
Claude Débussy – Trois Chansons de Charles d’Orléans
Clément Janequin – La Guerre
Attr. Henry VIII – Pastyme with good companye
Jean Mouton – Nesciens Mater
Jean Lhéritier – Surrexit pastor bonus
François Couperin – Troisième Leçon à deux voix
William Cornysh – Ah Robyn
William Walton – The Twelve