{"product_id":"the-ground-and-the-glory-r-h-mason-9781989647813","title":"The Ground and the Glory: A Listener's Guide to the Baroque and Folk Continuum in UK Music","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ground and the Glory\u003c\/strong\u003e is an essential listener's guide and academic survey that dismantles the traditional division between European art music and the native folk tradition. It presents the case that the musical landscape of the UK, from the late 17th century to the 1970s, is a single, unified continuum defined by shared structural principles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book traces two parallel narratives: the formal compositions of the \u003cstrong\u003eBaroque\u003c\/strong\u003e (John Blow, Henry Purcell, Marin Marais) and the songs of the \u003cstrong\u003eEnglish Folk Revival\u003c\/strong\u003e (The Copper Family, Shirley Collins, Fairport Convention). Through detailed analysis, it demonstrates how seemingly disparate styles rely on the same fundamental techniques: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ground Bass Echo: \u003c\/strong\u003e It reveals how the simple, repeating bass line-the \u003cem\u003ebasso ostinato\u003c\/em\u003e that anchors Purcell's laments-is structurally identical to the low, \u003cstrong\u003edrone-like harmonies\u003c\/strong\u003e preserved in the \u003cstrong\u003ea cappella songs\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Copper Family.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Chamber Economy: \u003c\/strong\u003e It contrasts the elegant, intimate scale of the Baroque viola da gamba with the precision and restraint of acoustic folk masters like \u003cstrong\u003eNic Jones\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBert Jansch\u003c\/strong\u003e, showing both traditions prioritized clarity and emotional focus over instrumental scale.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Continuum of Fusion: \u003c\/strong\u003e The survey culminates in the 20th-century revival, showcasing how artists like \u003cstrong\u003eFairport Convention\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ePentangle\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eVan Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e fused these ancient modal melodies with the virtuosity of classical and jazz arrangement, resulting in the high-water mark of electric folk.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is ideal for students of music history, folk enthusiasts, and listeners seeking to deepen their understanding of how simple melodic truth endures through the centuries, regardless of whether it is dressed in the ornamental lace of the court or the rough honesty of the pub.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis volume, The Ground and the Glory, extends the \"field guide\" concept to the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003erealm of deep listening, cultural reclamation, and intellectual craft. It treats the\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003earcane connections between Baroque and Folk music as a geological crosssection-\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea hidden structure waiting to be mapped, understood, and applied. The\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eobservations contained within are guides to the ear, inviting you to identify shared\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003epatterns, structural DNA (like the ground bass), and the evolution of technique\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eacross centuries, making the complexity of music history tangible and usable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarry this book with you. Let it be the small weight that anchors your attention, a\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eportable point of reflection. Let it get dog-eared, stained by soil, or marked with\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eyour own insights. Use it to deepen your connection to the world around you, to\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecultivate a quiet competence, and to rediscover the profound satisfaction that\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecomes from knowledge in hand, and practice in heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e R. H. Mason\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1989647812\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781989647813\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Byrd Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/13\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 58\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.14d","brand":"R. H. Mason","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48743006732543,"sku":"9781989647813","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-ground-and-the-glory-r-h-mason-9781989647813","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}