Henry VIII (1491-1547) was the second king of England's Tudor dynasty. His rule extended not only over England but also Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, promoting the unification of England as a single sovereign nation.
He is also known historically as the king who married six times to produce a male heir, had conflicts with the papacy due to divorce issues, dissolved the monasteries, and carried out the English Reformation.
At the same time, Henry VIII was active as a writer and composer, and is regarded as one of the greatest intellectuals in the history of the English royal family.

In this arrangement, we have composed a suite of songs composed by and about Henry VIII.
1. Adieu Madame (Henry VIII)

2. Pastime with Good Company (Henry VIII)

This is the most famous of his works. It is still covered by various singers and arranged for band by the English composer Philip Spark. Originally a four-beat piece, it has been arranged to triple meter in the style of Renaissance dances.

3. Greensleeves (unknown)
It was formerly said to have been composed by Henry VIII for his lover Anne Boleyn, who later became queen, but the author is now unknown. Later, Vaughan Williams wrote a very beautiful work under the name of "Fantasy on Greensleeves," and this movement (and the transitional sections 1-2) also pay homage to him.

4. Scottish Dances (unknown) - O Lusty May (Henry VIII)
This suite was initially arranged for wind and percussion octet, performed by students of Toin Gakuen High School in Yokohama for the 2021 Ensemble Contest. It has been adapted to flexible scoring for this publishing.
(Makoto Onodera)

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