elizabethan midis

Subject: An Elizabethan Song Book
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 04 - 07:05 PM

In a recent Mudcat auction Mudlark offered An Elizabethan Song Book and alanww won the final bid but MMario was also bidding.

As I said in the Auction thread: "I have had this book for about 30 years and I love it. Some of the song melodies are so beautiful yet so simple.   I bought it when I was learning the flute and have had many happy hours playing songs throughout the book."

MMario, you asked about finding the Midis of the music. You can search for music by Thomas Campion, e.g. Never Weatherbeaten Sail, Thrice Toss These Oaken Ashes, Think'st Thou to Seduce Me etc. I really like his tunes.

Early Music on Midi

My favourite song in the book is called All Lookes Be Pale

The John Dowland tunes are very good too.

Also if you do a search on Google.com for "An Elizabethan Song Book" there are quite a few secondhand copies available to buy.

Helen

Subject: RE: elizabethan
From: GUEST,cloth ears
Date: 15 May 04 - 07:34 PM

oh no another book for alan ww to clutch as he howls tuneslessly

Subject: RE: elizabethan
From: Helen
Date: 15 May 04 - 09:10 PM

An Elizabethan tune howled tunelessly is still as sweet.

:-)

Helen

Subject: ADD: Thrice Tosse These Oaken Ashes in the Ayre
From: Helen
Date: 16 May 04 - 03:26 AM

I typed a long posting for this thread and then lost it. Oh well!

Briefly I was saying that I have only heard a few of these songs sung and one occasion was when I heard them on the radio (classical music station here in Oz) about 20-or-30-something years ago. They were sung in a high operatic style which was overdone and, in my opinion, a style which was totally inappropriate for the nature of the songs. I think that the decisions about arrangements, and choice of singing style, and the person who is singing these type of songs has changed over the years and the arrangers/conductors have lightened up a bit but at that time there was a definite lack of congruence between singing style and the songs themselves. They are closer to pop songs than "classical" songs, although they were often courtly songs rather than popular in the sense of "people", i.e. common people.

Also, I have heard operatic singers doing folk songs and totally killing them with the overblown technique.

But, a couple of weeks ago I heard a version of one of the songs in this book called Of All the Birds, by John Bartlett and it was very well done. That recording was from around the 60's I think but the arrangement and singing style totally suited the song.

And here are the lyrics of one of the songs, which I am sure the Wicca-Cats and Pagan-Cats will like:

THRICE TOSSE THESE OAKEN ASHES IN THE AYRE
(Thomas Campion)

Thrice tosse these Oaken ashes in the ayre,
Thrice sit thou mute in this inchanted chayre ;
And thrice three times tye vp this true loues knot,
And murmur soft, shee will, or shee will not.

Goe burn these poys'nous weedes in yon blew fire,
These Screech-owles fethers and this prickling bryer ;
This Cypresse gathered at a dead mans graue ;
That all thy feares and cares, an end may haue.

Then come, you Fayries, dance with me a round ;
Melt her hard hart with your melodious sound :
In vaine are all the charms I can deuise:
She hath an Arte to breake them with her eyes

Subject: RE: elizabethan midis
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 19 May 04 - 09:09 AM

actually I was hoping to win the book and then post the midis myself...*grin* I have found midi's of some..

Subject: RE: elizabethan midis
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 May 04 - 09:30 AM

Thank you, Helen, for bringing this page to my attention. I love this sort of music!

Subject: RE: elizabethan midis
From: Helen
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:47 AM

refresh for Blackcatter's benefit.

Subject: RE: elizabethan midis
From: Helen
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:50 AM

looking for elizabethan era songs

Subject: RE: elizabethan midis
From: pavane
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 07:16 AM

I have a (1960's?) album entitled 'An Elizabethen Songbook" which contains (mostly) well-known Elizabethan tunes given a Modern Jazz interpretation - no voice though. It is a very enjoyable album, but I have found it impossible to track down any information on the album or the performers, listed on the cover just as LJ4.

Has anyone else heard of it? I couldn't even find any mention of it on the 'net