Music During Renaissance And Reformation Periods Essay

Music During Renaissance And Reformation Periods - Essay Example The English Renaissance is considered to extend from the early sixteenth to the early seventeenth century, and refers to a cultural and artistic movement in England. The Reformation is a period that overlaps with that of the renaissance. The English Reformation started in the reign of Henry VIII. (1509 – 1547 A.D.) with England breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church based in Rome. This was brought about by Henry VIII, who insisted on divorcing his first wife, Catharine of Aragon, who could not bear him a male heir, to marry Anne Boleyn. Divorce was not permitted by the Church, due to which the king took this extreme measure, of taking the church’s power as well on himself. His subjects were also not happy with the church’s clergy and priests, who were fraudulent. The Pope’s power was ended, and Henry VIII became the the Supreme Head of the Church in 1534, and the country continued to be Catholic.