English Lute Songs, Book One

These two books contain some 100 songs chosen from the definitive collections of The English Lutenists begun by Edmund Fellowes, revised by Thurston Dart and added to by later scholars. They include many favourites and many lesser-known songs by popular composers such as Dowland, Campion and Pilkington (no known ancestor of the compiler) as well as some unjustly forgotten such as Corkine, Attey and Ferrabosco. Nearly all are for middle-range voice, with lute parts transcribed in staff notation. The books have an appropriate preface and a commentary on the words, which often throw a penetrating light on Elizabethan and Jacobean life. 

CONTENTS

ANONYMOUS
As at noon Dulcina rested
Sweet, stay awhile!

JOHN ATTEY
On a time the amorous Silvy

JOHN BARTLET
A pretty duck there was
O Lord, thy faithfulness
What thing is love?
When from my love

THOMAS CAMPION
A secret love or two
Author of light
Beauty, since you so much desire
Come you pretty false-eyed wanton
Follow thy fair sun
Follow your saint
I must complain
If love loves truth
If thou long’st so much
It fell on a summer’s day
Love me or not
My sweetest Lesbia
Never love unless you can
O what unhoped for sweet supply!
Oft have I sigh’d
The cypress curtain of the night
The peaceful western wind
There is a garden in her face
Vain men, whose follies
Veil, love, mine eyes
When to her lute Corinna sings
Your fair looks

MICHAEL CAVENDISH
Love is not blind
Stay, Glycia, stay!
The heart to rue
Wanton, come hither!

WILLIAM CORKINE
He that hath no mistress
Sweet Cupid
Sweet, let me go!

JOHN DANYEL
Dost thou withdraw thy grace?
I die whenas I do not see
Like as the lute delights
Why canst thou not?

ALFONSO FERRABOSCO II
Drown not with tears
Fain I would
Like hermit poor
Unconstant love
Young and simple though I am

THOMAS FORD
Fair sweet cruel 
Not full twelve years
Now I see thy looks were feigned
Since first I saw your face 
Unto the temple of thy beauty

RICHARD GREAVES
Ye bubbling springs

ROBERT JOHNSON
Dear do not your fair beauty wrong