The Jane Austen Society of Australia

<< Back to Book Reviews: Contents

CD review
The Jane Austen Collection (CD)

by Peter Harrison

Georgian Recordings, UK, 2001

Reviewed by Kath Holmes

As we know from her novels, music filled many an hour in the leisured homes of Jane Austen’s day, and any young lady wishing to be considered accomplished was expected to be able to perform on the piano, harpsichord or harp. Jane herself practised each day before breakfast, but could never be prevailed upon to perform in company. Her house in Chawton now contains a great deal of music she would have played or listened to, either printed or copied in her own hand.

Peter Harrison, the director of a small ensemble called Concert Royal (soprano, flute, cello and square piano), was able to inspect the Austen family music collection. He selected a sample for performance by his group and this has been issued on this CD. The bulk of the Austen collection was of English composers – Thomas Arne (who wrote Rule Britannia), William Boyce and Samuel Arnold, to name a few. There were few examples of the ‘great’ composers, only Haydn being featured in the CD. Most of the works are popular songs of the day, and the only tunes familiar to me are Haydn’s arrangement of the traditional ‘Highland Laddie’ and his ‘Shepherd’s Song’ (‘My mother bids me bind my hair’). The only work which runs for more than a few minutes is Arne’s so-called chamber cantata ‘Cymon and Iphigenia’ which takes 9.07 minutes.

The CD itself runs for 47.46 minutes and has 17 tracks, 10 of these being songs. Three short extracts from Jane’s novels are read: two from Sense and Sensibility and one from Emma, and also three from Jane’s letters to Cassandra. Each letter extract is followed by a country dance tune mentioned in the letter. The musical items are performed in a fresh, simple style which, one imagines, reflects home performances of the time. They offer an unusual glimpse into the tastes of the people in Jane’s country society and its essential ‘Englishness’.

This CD is unfortunately not available commercially in Australia, but can be ordered by post from the UK for £15 sterling by international money order payable to Georgian Recordings from Peter Harrison, 25 Turners Croft, Heslington, York, Y010 5EL, UK.

29 January 2004

HOME | What's New | About Jane | About JASA | JASA News | Sensibilities | Calendar | Conference | Book Reviews | JASA Library | Writing Competition | Mrs Goddard's School | Regency Fair | LINKS