Henry VIII on Tour

Last updated Sunday, 28 April, 2024

On 13 August 1510, King Henry VIII, Queen Katherine and an entourage of courtiers and household servants arrived at Christchurch Priory on the first substantial royal progress of his reign. As guests of the Priory, they stayed for five days, during the course of which was celebrated one of the major feasts of the pre-Reformation church calendar, the Assumption into Heaven of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The experience must have been a good one as the king returned on progress six years later in time for the very same liturgical festival.

Now, over 500 years later, Christchurch Priory is hosting an enactment of the pre-Reformation liturgy and music of the Lady Mass and service of Compline as might have been heard by Henry VIII on one of his visits to the Priory as part of an innovative project entitled Henry VIII on Tour: Landscapes, Communities and Performance. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and led by Professor Anthony Musson, Head of Research at Historic Royal Palaces (in association with the Universities of York and Newcastle), this exciting venture is focusing on establishing Henry’s itinerary and exploring the logistics and legacy of progresses around his kingdom by visiting specific extant locations.

The Project Team will not only be investigating where Henry VIII and his court were billeted and what they may have eaten, but will also considering the practicalities of performing music of that era (unfamiliar to many people today) and reflecting on the value of performances re-staged in a specific historical environment in dialogue with archival research.

Find out all about the project on their excellent website Henry on Tour

Timetable of residency events 

Thursday 2nd May, 12.30-1.15pm

Recital - Organs and Voice in the Reign of Henry VIII. 

Admission free, retiring collection

Friday 3rd May, 7.30pm

Concert of ‘Music from the Time of Henry VIII’ by Ensemble Pro Victoria.

Admission free, retiring collection

Saturday 4th May, 4pm 

Celebration of Lady Mass (including movements from the Western Wynde Mass by John Taverner) sung by Christchurch Priory Choir and Ensemble Pro Victoria 

All welcome. This will be followed by a unique opportunity to meet with members of the Project Team and hear more as well as ask questions about the visit of Henry and his court.

Sunday 5th May, 7.45pm

Service of Compline and Anthem with voices of Christchurch Priory and Christchurch Chamber Choirs and Ensemble Pro Victoria (Quire and Lady Chapel)

All welcome. This service  will include the antiphon Salve Regina by William Cornysh,  a favourite court musician of Henry VIII

Ensemble Pro Victoria is established as one of the Britain’s finest young early music ensembles (Early Music Review).

Founded at the University of Cambridge in 2015, the ensemble put down roots in the rich tradition of combined research and historical performance, which remains at the heart of their approach.

Under their director Toby Ward, Ensemble Pro Victoria won joint-first prize at the London International Festival of Early Music Young Ensemble Competition (2020), swiftly followed by a Gramophone nomination for their debut recording Robert Fayrfax, Music for Tudor Kings and Queens.