Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine

Subject: Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine
From: chico
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 01:11 AM

Tune: Mounsier's Almaine (Or Monsieur's Almain/e) 
  
  Betram: How now Monsieur? This drumme sticks sorely in your disposition. (All's Well That Ends Well)
  
  G        D  7         G      D       7
  O noble England fall down upon thy knee
       G          D         7                    C        D7       G
  And praise thy God with thankful heart which still maintainest thee
  The foreign forces that seek thy utter spoil
  Shall then through his especial grace be brought to shameful foil
  
   G            D         Em    Am       D
  With mighty power they come unto our coast
      G           D        7         C           D7       G
  To overrun our country quite they make their brags and boast
  In strength of men they set their only stay
  But we upon the Lord our God will put our trust always
  
  
  Great is their number of ships upon the sea
  And their provision wonderful but Lord thou are our stay
  Their armed soldiers are many by account
  Their aiders eke in this attempt do sundry ways surmount
  
  The pope of Rome with many blessed grains
  To sanctify their bad pretense bestowed both cost and pains
  But little land is not dismay'd at all
  The Lord is no doubt on our side, which soon wil work their fall
  
  
  In happy hour our foes we did descry
  And under sail with gallant wind as they came passing by
  Which sudden tiding to Plymouth being brought
  Fully soon our Lord high Admiral for to pursue them sought
  
  And to his train courageously he said
  Now for the Lord and our good Queen to fight be not afraid
  Regard our cause, and play your parts like men
  The Lord no doubt will prosper us in all our actions then
  
  
  This great Galleazzo, which was so huge and high
  That like a bulwark on the sea did seem to each man's eye
  There was it taken unto our great relief 
  And divers noble, in which train Don Pedro was the chief
  
  Strong was she stuff'd with cannons great and small
  And other instruments of war which we obtained all
  A certain sign of good success we trust 
  That God will overthrow the rest as he hath done the first
  
  
  Then did our navy pursue the rest amain
  With roaring noise of cannons great till they near Calais came
  With manly courage they followed them so fast
  Another mighty galleon did seem to yield at last
  
  And in distress for safeguard of their lives
  A flag of truce they did hand out with any mournful cries
  Which when our men did perfectly espy
  Some little barks they sent to her to board her quietly
  
  
  But these false Spaniards, esteeming them but weak
  When they within their danger came, their malice forth did break
  With charged cannons, they laid about them then
  For to destroy those proper barks and all their valiant men
  
  Which when our men perceived so to be
  Like lions fierce they forward wnet to uite this injury
  And boarding them, with strong and mighty hand
  They kill'd the men until their ark did sink in Calais sand
  
  
  And many more by sword did lose their breath
  And many more within the seadid swin and took their death
  There might you see the salt and foaming flood 
  Died and stain'd lik escarlet red with store of Spanish blood
  
  There were of oars, two hundred I ween
  Threescore foot and twelve in length well measured to be seen
  And yet subdued with many others more
  And not a ship of ours lost the Lord be thank'd therefore
  
  Our pleasant country, so fruitful and so fair,
  They do intend by deadly war, to make both poor and bare
  Our towns and cities to rack and sack likewise
  To kill and murder man and wife as malice doth arise
  
  And to deflower our virgins in our sight 
  And in the cradle cruelly the tender babe to smite
  God's holy truth they mean for to cast down
  And to deprive our noble Queen both of her life and crown
  
  
  And you, dear brethren which beareth arms this day
  For safeguard of your native soil, mark well what I shall say
  Regard your duties think on your country's good
  And fear not in defense thereof to spend your dearest blood
  
  Our gracious queen doth greet you everyone
  And saith she will among you be in every bitter storm
  Desiring you, true English hearts to bear
  To God, and her and to the land wherein you nursed were
  
  
  [Words by Thomas Deloney, printed c1588. Music from to "My Ladye Nevells Booke" by Byrd, c1591.]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine
From: chico
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 01:12 AM

Some mp3 and rm of the music at http://www.flowinglass.com/mk.html

My songbook for reference is at
members.cox.net/uglyboy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 02:21 PM

Who dunnit? Composer of music debated.
John Dowland, 1562-1626 (composed for the lute)
Daniel Bacheler, b. 1575 (published copy 1610)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 07:56 PM

Claude M Simpson, The British Broadside Ballad and Its Music, 495-6, makes no guesses as to authorship, but says:

"The title of this dance tune recalls to us the old custom of naming a king's younger brother 'Monsieur.' The reference here is evidently to François, Duke of Anjou, and brother of Henri III of France. It may be assumed that the tune was in circulation before François's death in 1584. A Continental version of 'Allemande Monsieur,' c. 1600, is preserved in Het Luitboek van Thysius, No. 311 [tune quoted]; English settings include 'mounsers almane' in the Wickhambrook Lute MS, c. 1600, fol. 17, and 'Mounsieurs Almane' in the Welde Lute MS, c. 1600, fol. 14^v."

He refers to other examples; Byrd's arrangement of 1591 and Morley's of 1599 among others.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Mounsier's Almaine
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 09:02 PM

From that it seems the tune was popular and that several people put their oar in. I wonder if the tune varied much in the process.