Seven Little Hounds (2026)

Sometime between 1460 and 1480, an anonymous English scribe produced a list of names deemed suitable for dogs as part of a treatise on hunting. The text, entitled “The Names of All Manner of Hounds” contains 1,065 names for dogs, from greyhounds to terriers to bulldogs, and begins like this:

“Here begynneth the names of all manner of houndis after the

a.b.c. Firste to begynne with .a. for houndis names.”

Each movement of Seven Little Hounds is a character piece inspired by one of these names. As the list was produced before English spelling was standardized, the names each have a charmingly rustic Old-English quality. Listed below are the modern English spellings of each name, along with definitions for the words that are less commonly used in modern English.

I. Argente - argent (from the french word for “silver”)

II. Garlik - garlic

III. Pleasaunce - pleasance (meaning “pleasure,” or “de-light”)

IV. Beste-of-All - best of all

V. Olyfawnte - elephant

VI. Duchesse - duchess

VII. Musike - music