Forty-Nine Pine Trees

 

When Henry VIII died in 1547, clerks catalogued his belongings. There were jewels, furs, tapestries, and the contents of fifty-five houses, castles, palaces and hunting lodges. And there were musical instruments. Henry owned at least 76 recorders. They were hand carved from ivory and boxwood, stored in velvet-lined cases. Some were tipped with silver. They came in all sizes from the tiny sopranino to the massive great bass. The instruments were there in part to be played FOR the king, and in part to be played BY the king, as he was an accomplished musician. Beyond the recorders, he owned at least forty flutes, along with crumhorns, cornetts and shawms. There was a set of ivory/purple velvet bagpipes, dozens of viols and lutes, and several keyboard instruments. Most were kept at Westminster in the care of Flemish composer Philip van Wilder, “Keeper of the King’s Instruments.” Because someone had to keep everything dusted.