Glossary entry for
Dowland, John
John Dowland (1563 - 1626), of English or possibly Irish origin, was born in 1563,
probably in London. He was a lutenist of distinction but failed,
allegedly because he was a Catholic, to win a position in the royal
service, seeking his fortune abroad at Kassel and later, in 1598, at
the court of Christian IV of Denmark. He was forced by debt to
return to England in 1606 and eventually won appointment as one of
the King's Lutes in 1612.
He performed during the funeral ceremonies of King James I and
himself died the following year. Dowland was the composer, in
particular, of one of the best known songs of the period, Flow my
teares, music much imitated, epitomising the fashionable humour of
the day, melancholy. Dowland himself provided an apt pun on his own
name - Dowland, semper dolens (Dowland, always grieving) - although
he had a reputation as a cheerful man, yet professionally embittered
by his long failure to find employment at court.
Dowland was above all the composer of lute-songs, publishing his
first collection of airs in 1597, followed by a second in 1600 and a
third in 1603. He left over eighty secular songs and these include
"Come again: sweet love doth now end", "Fine knacks for ladies" and "Flow
my teares", among many others of moving intensity.
For the lute itself Dowland wrote Fantasias, and dance-movements,
including Pavanes, Galliards, Almains and Jigs. Other Instrumental
Music The best known of Dowland's instrumental compositions is his
famous "Lachrimae" or "Seaven Teares", for five viols and lute. This
work includes a series of dance-movements, chiefly Galliards, and
solemn Pavanes, using the theme familiar from the lute-song "Flow my
teares".
Here's one of his madrigals/poems:
In Darkness Let Me Dwell
In darkness let me dwell,
The ground, the ground shall sorrow,
sorrow be;
The roof Despair to bar all,
all cheerful light from me;
The walls of marble black that moisten'd,
that moisten'd still shall weep,
still shall weep;
My music, my music hellish,
hellish jarring sounds,
jarring, jarring sounds to banish,
banish friendly sleep.
Thus wedded to my woes
and bedded to my tomb,
O let me living die,
O let me living,
O let me living, living die,
Till death, till death do come,
till death, till death do come,
till death do come.
In darkness let me dwell.
His composition "Lachrimae" has also been rendered as
"Greensleeves"
Contributed by David Chance
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