The ‘English’ cadence: reading an early modern musical trope

Abstract Twisting through a dissonant flattened 7th now more commonly recognized as the Jazz ‘blue’ 7th, ‘English’ cadence is distinctive feature of early modern English music. Typically embedded within texture piece in an inner part, this voice-leading pattern works by pulling against its own regularity: it highlights predictability, regularity cadence, spiralling, just briefly, into unpredictable. Nevertheless, ever since Thomas Morley dubbed thing ‘naught and stale’ has had dubious reception, both terms Englishness role musical textures. Much doubt derives from status ‘ornament’ or ‘decoration’. As such often viewed superfluous to tonality music whole. However, these interpretations do not take account contemporary thinking about ornament decoration England. This article seeks demonstrate that looking beyond scant accounts theoretical treatises towards visual culture period, possible move nuanced understanding way communicates.