"To Althea, From Prison" - the song version by Fairport Convention

That great old folk band, Fairport Convention's sung version of Richard Lovelace's famous poem is worth a listen for its phrasing and for how they managed to set this seventeenth century poem to music. In class we will be studying this poem with Lovelace's paradoxes on liberty  two weeks from now. Students should remember that AO1 and AO5ii are the most important assessment objectives. However, the others in between matter too, even if to a lesser degree.

"To Althea, From Prison" was written by Richard Lovelace, a royalist, Cavalier poet, 1618-1658. "When Parliament Puritans known as Roundheads (because of their short haircuts compared with the luxurious locks of the cavaliers) ousted Anglican bishops from Parliament, Lovelace presented a petition calling for their restoration. In response, Parliament imprisoned him in its Gate House." (From the Cummings Study Guide.)

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/Althea.html

An Extract from La Follia by Arcangelo Corelli 1653-1713

AO4
To understand the context of a period, say the late 1600s to the early 1700s, it helps to listen to the music that was popular at the time. This extract from "La Follia' (the latter word is derived from "folly") is useful for understanding the ornate nature of the baroque, the style in music, art, architecture and furniture at the time.

Arcangelo Corelli died a rich man because of aid of his patrons and the quality art of his compositions. Captain Corelli in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" from the A2 text of the same name derives his name and nationality from Arcangelo Corelli.