Songs and instrumental works by
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John Dowland (1563-1626)
Francis Pilkington (c 1570-1638)
Thomas Campion (1567-1620)
Robert Jones (1577-1617)
John Dowland was the most famous lutenist/songwriter of his day. His name appears in numerous literary works, including Shakespeare, suggesting that he was a household name, at least in artistic and aristocratic circles. He traveled in various parts of Europe, including a period working for Christian IV of Denmark. During that sojourn he composed his 2nd Book of songs, containing the most famous song of the day, his Lacrimae:‘Flow my tears.’ But there were many other extremely fine composers in England at that time: Byrd, Gibbons, Wilbye, Weelkes, and the lutenists Thomas Campion, Francis Pilkington, and Robert Jones. This program celebrates that most renowned period of English music, and is itself shaped loosely in the form of a day, passing from the activities of morning and afternoon, mostly spent in the outdoors, and then evening and night mostly indoors, particularly reflecting the cult of melancholy which pervaded the aesthetics of the time, and for which Dowland’s Lacrimae was the theme tune.
Else Torp, soprano
Linnea Lomholt, alto
Adam Riis, tenor
Jakob Bloch Jespersen, bass
Richard Sweeney, lute
Paul Hillier, artistic director