Viola da Gamba Society of America

The present edition of Jenkins Fantasias for four, five and six viols is based on British Library manuscripts. Though not a scholarly edition, the parts have been carefully corrected and have been read several times for errors.

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It is presented with the blessing of Andrew Ashbee who edited the Faber editions of same, and this edition uses his and Meyer’s numbering system so parts may be compared easily. A great deal of credit is due Mr. Ashbee for consulting so many sources and for his immense knowledge of Jenkins and his times.

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My thanks are due to Atlanta viols players who have helped proof read the website editions: Greg Armijo, Brian Bishop, Marian Burge, Joyce Clinkscales, Paul Miller, John Moran, Stephen Morris, Susan Patterson, Alice Renken, Ann Rollins, Chrissy Spencer, Emily Stevenson, Marie Szuts, Russell Wagner, Susan Whaley, Pam Woodcock and Jorg Voss. Special thanks are due Joyce, Librarian of the Emory Heilbrun Music and Media Library, for her help in obtaining microfilms of the original manuscripts.

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The present edition is presented in the spirit of the several copyists who felt that Jenkins’s music should be available to as many people as possible, for their immense musical enjoyment and to spread around the genius of the composer John Jenkins. What better way to do this in modern times than by the internet?

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Martha Bishop
July 2010