This book is concerned with a hundred years of musical drama in England. It charts the development of the genre from the theatre works of Henry Purcell (and his contemporaries) to the dramatic oratorios of George Frideric Handel (and his). En route it investigates the objections to all-sung drama in English that were articulated in the decades around 1700, various proposed solutions, the importation of Italian opera, and the creation of the dramatic oratorio - English drama, all-sung but not staged. Most of the constituent essays take an in-depth look at a particular aspect of the process, while others draw attention to dramatic qualities in non-dramatic works that also were performed in the theatre. The journey from Purcell to Handel illustrates the vigour and vitality of English theatrical and musical traditions, and Handel's dramatic oratorios and other settings of English words answer questions posed before he was born.

Winner of 10 national awards including IRA Children's Choice, Teachers' Choice, and Book Sense Children's Pick! "This elegant children's book depicts the journey of life with all the hopes and dreams found along the way... Richly crafted and thoughtfully written, 'Dream' is a dazzling project that challenges us to find a dream and follow it" -- The Bloomsbury Review. Fifteen top children's illustrators each offer a gorgeously illustrated page to complement quotations from historical sages and a beautifully told, multilayered poetic story about life's hopes and dreams from childhood to adulthood, inspiring both children and adults. A book to explore and discuss with children, a keepsake and collector's item, and a lovely gift book for milestones like a birth or graduation, the holidays and birthdays. "Dream" offers wonder, wisdom, and good wishes -- for everyone who dreams.

The tercentenary of the death of world-famous English Baroque composer Henry Purcell (most widely known for his opera "Dido and Aeneas") will be celebrated everywhere. This volume offers an opportunity to choral associations to join the celebration. With Purcell's expertise in setting the English language, ten of the eleven anthems are in English (one in Latin). The editor, secretary to the Purcell Society, has selected those most representative and most useful, from among the composer's prodigious output.

In this vivid portrait, Bruce Wood illuminates the sometimes shadowy figure of Henry Purcell, richly evoking the atmosphere of 17th-century England - full of intrigues and plots. By interweaving the events during an unparalleled period of social and political change with the life and music of Purcell, Wood creates an account of this elusive English genius that is hard to put down.

This book challenges the macroeconomic policy orthodoxies currently being applied in most European countries. The book identifies the misplaced policy orthodoxies and then sets out 23 policy principles (including new economic policy paradigms) that should guide economic policy-making in Europe going forward. The new overarching policy objective should be to provide stimulus and economic growth without raising public debt. The book argues that current fiscal austerity policies are taking the periphery economies and the United Kingdom in the wrong direction. The book establishes the case for a reversal of policy aimed at providing economic stimulus and growth. Austerity forces real wages to fall in an uncoordinated manner, lowers demand and tax revenue, raises unemployment and adds to budget deficits and the level of public debt. The book explains why the financing on-going budget deficits by the issuance of new government bonds adds to public debt and could result in higher interest rates. It is also demonstrated that creating new money to purchase government bonds on the secondary market is a second or third best policy. The book recommends that, instead, new money creation should be used to finance on-going fiscal deficits. By this method economic stimulus can be delivered without raising public debt further. To resolve the external competitiveness problem that afflicts the periphery countries the book recommends a prices and incomes policy. This policy would replace austerity to achieve the right balance between wages and prices, and the required deflation in prices. Under this approach there is no need to increase unemployment. The book explains how the new approach to monetary and fiscal policy coordination could be implemented. Potential options include the central bank or the Ministry of Finance creating new money to finance the fiscal deficit. As well, the book explains how this policy can be implemented in a way that does not increase inflation. The book proceeds in the following way. There are 4 chapters which provide illustrations of how the author has challenged orthodoxies and provided new policy paradigms. These chapters cover the global economic crisis (Chapter 2); the stagflation/real wage problem that occurred in Australia between 1974 and 1982 (Chapter 3); the crisis in respect of the taxation of hybrid financial instruments (Chapter 4); and, the chronic balance of payments crisis present in most Pacific island microstates (Chapter 5). Chapter 2 explains why further quantitative easing will do little to resolve the problem of inadequate aggregate demand. The problems created by continued quantitative easing are identified. Chaoter 2 also explains the history and benefits of the proposed policy of creating new money not to benefit the banks and bond traders (as with QE), but to benefit the real economy: the unemployed, small business and infrastructure projects, where marginal propensities to consume are relatively high. Chapter 3 illustrates how stagflation and high real wage cost problems were resolved in Australia during the 1980s. The solution involved the application of a prices and incomes policy to lower real wages while simultaneously lowering nominal wages and prices. This application of a prices and incomes policy in Australia provides insights as to how a prices and incomes policy could be applied in European periphery countries today, not to lower real wages but to lower prices and improve international competitiveness. Chapter 5 develops a new measure called 'the distance form external balance'. This measure demonstrates that it is the microstates among Pacific island countries are furthest from external balance. The chapter reviews policy options and argues that current 'dollarisation' policies are inappropriate and should be changed. The general policy principles applying in the Pacific currency unions are applicable to the periphery countries in the Eurozone.

This book is concerned with a hundred years of musical drama in England. It charts the development of the genre from the theatre works of Henry Purcell (and his contemporaries) to the dramatic oratorios of George Frideric Handel (and his). En route it investigates the objections to all-sung drama in English that were articulated in the decades around 1700, various proposed solutions, the importation of Italian opera, and the creation of the dramatic oratorio - English drama, all-sung but not staged. Most of the constituent essays take an in-depth look at a particular aspect of the process, while others draw attention to dramatic qualities in non-dramatic works that also were performed in the theatre. The journey from Purcell to Handel illustrates the vigour and vitality of English theatrical and musical traditions, and Handel's dramatic oratorios and other settings of English words answer questions posed before he was born.