Viola da Gamba Society of America

In the treble parts Jenkins uses treble, alto, and soprano clefs to avoid ledger lines, but this barless edition uses only treble clef. The bass part uses bass, alto, and baritone clefs, but this edition uses only bass and alto clefs.

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Metrically, the facsimile score gives no starting meter but “C” or common time is understood. Many Fancys have a section noted “3”. Within either time signature measures could drift with no indication into longer or shorter versions of 4/4 or 6/4. In the facsimile, notes tied over barlines are given as single notes with the correct rhythmic value without using ties. Beaming of notes was mostly to the quarter note; dotted 8th notes were always separated from their following 16th notes, but 8th and 16th notes are joined in this edition. Facsimile parts would need to be consulted to see if phrasing would be suggested by the beaming of notes. Players need to be quite adept in switching from half note to quarter note beats, and in and out of triple meter.

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Key changes in the facsimile are always accompanied by a restatement of the clefs; meter changes were not. Fancys usually have 2 or 3 key changes, and some are quite dramatic! No natural signs were used in the original score; only sharps and flats were used to raise of lower pitches. This convention has been retained. The key centers could be quite adventurous.

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I have tried to be honest to Jenkins’ “quirks” such as notes appearing in one clef and immediately the same note in another clef. This always happened over a barline, concurrent with a change of key/clef restatement or change. Clef changes, even though for only a few notes, have been kept.

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Martha Bishop
June 2019