Class: how to learn period songs in English

   

English Period Songs

Introduction

My name is the Honorable Ladyship Juliana la Badele.  I am a proud bard, and it is my joy to sing. Over the years, I’ve collected songs of all types fit for every occasion!  Here are a few for the singers who wish they could perform period songs IN ENGLISH. 

I will take this moment to say this: This is an introductory class for those who love to sing FOR FUN.  I will not be instructing on ‘proper performance structure’, though I am absolutely happy to answer any questions after the class on this subject. 

1. CARMEN'S WHISTLE

As I abroad was walking

By the breaking of the day,

Into a pleasant meadow

A young man took his way;

And looking round about him,

To mark what he could see,

At length he spied a fair maid

Under a myrtle tree.

So comely was her countenance,

And winning was her air,

As tho' the goddess Venus

Herself she had been there;

And many a smirking smile she gave

Amongst the leaves so green,

Altho' she was perceived

She thought she was not seen.

At length she changed her countenance

And sung a mournful song,

Lamenting her misfortune

She stay'd a maid so long;

'Sure young men are hardhearted

and know not what they do,

Or else they look for compliments

Fair maidens for to woo.'

'Why should young virgins pine away

And loose their chiefest prime,

And all for want of sweethearts

To cheer us up in time?'

The young man heard her ditty

And could no longer stay,

But straight unto the damosel

With speed he did away.

When he had played unto her

One merry note or two,

Then was she so rejoiced

She knew not what to do;

'Oh, God a mercy, carman,

Thou art a lively lad;

Thou hast as rare a whistle

As ever carman had!'

2. BRAVE LORD WILLOUGHBY

The fifteenth day of July,

With glistering spear and shield,

A famous light in Flanders

Was foughten in the field;

The most courageous officers

Were English captains three,

But the bravest man in battle

Was brave Lord Willoughby

The next was Captain Norris',

A valiant man was he;

The other, Captain Turner,

From field would never flee.

With fifteen hundred fighting men

Alas, there were no more,-

They fought with fourteen thousand men

Upon the bloody shore.

"Stand to it, noble pikemen,

And look you round. about!

And shoot you straight, you bowmen,

And we will keep them out!

You musquet and caliver men,

Do you prove true to me;

I'll be the foremost, man in fight!"

Says brave Lord Willoughby.

And then the bloody enemy

They fiercely did assail;

And fought it out most furiously,

Not doubting to prevail.

The wounded men on both sides fell,

Most piteous for to see,

Yet nothing could the courage quell

Of brave Lord Willoughby.

For seven hours, to all men's view,

The flight endured sore;

Until our men so feeble grew

That they could fight no more.

And then upon dead horses

Full savourly they ate,

And drank the puddle water-

They could no better get.

When they had fed so freely,

They kneeled on the ground,

And praised God devoutly

For the favour they had found;

And beating up their colours,

The fight they did renew,

And turning tow'rds the Spaniard,

A thousand more they slew.

The sharp steel-pointed arrows

And bullets thick did fly;

Then did our valiant soldiers

Charge on most furiously;

Which made the Spaniards waver,

They thought it best to flee;

They feared the stout behaviour

Of brave Lord Willoughby.

And then the fearful enemy

Was quickly put to flight;

Our men pursued courageously

And caught their forces quite.   

But at last they gave a shout

Which echoed through the sky;

"God and Saint George for England!"

The conquerors did cry.

This news was brought to England,

With all the speed might be,

And soon our gracious Queen was told

Of this same victory.

"O this is brave Lord Willoughby,

My love that ever won;

Of all the Lords of honour

'Tis he great deeds hath done."

To the soldiers that were maimed

And wounded in the fray,

The Queen allowed a pension

Of fifteenpence a day:

And from all costs and charges

She quit and set them free;

And this she did all for the sake

Of brave Lord Willoughby.

Then, courage! noble Englishmen,

And never be dismayed:

If that we be but one to ten

We will not be afraid

To fight with foreign enemies,

And set our nation free;

And thus I end the bloody bout

Of brave Lord Willoughby.

3. THE HUNTES UPP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4BkFTFNG7k - period lute and voice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1HfvRlwJAg - neo - ska modern 

William Grey (probably) created the lyrics. 

William Byrd has published in My Ladye Nevells Booke and Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. 1591.

The hunt is up, the hunt is up, And it is well nigh day; And Harry our king is gone hunting, To bring his deer to bay.
The east is bright with morning light, And darkness it is fled; And the merry horn wakes up the morn To leave his idle bed.
Behold the skies with golden dyes Are glowing all around; The grass is green, and so are the treen, All laughing with the sound.
The horses snort to be at the sport, The dogs are running free; The woods rejoice at the merry noise Of hey taranta tee ree.
The sun is glad to see us clad All in our lusty green, And smiles in the sky as he riseth high To see and to be seen.
Awake all men, I say again, Be merry as you may; For Harry our king is gone hunting To bring his deer to bay.

This song is attributed to The King’s Hunt and the Huntes Upp. 

The Huntes Upp, music by William Byrd, uses earlier keyboard music and is thought to be the original melody. 

4. COMPLAIN MY LUTE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3SwJOrTRng - voice and music.

https://books.google.ca/books?id=2D9FDwAAQBAJ&pg=SA17-PA21&lpg=SA17-PA21&dq=%22complain+my+lute%22&source=bl&ots=mSDqOaCcvV&sig=gPoaVJpDHqfAY7qgQ5mLgPxVKJI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVm4ak3qrfAhWIHHwKHYFyAQ8Q6AEwAnoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22complain%20my%20lute%22&f=false

Thomas Morley - From his First Booke of Ayres 1600

http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Thomas_Morley#First_Book_of_Ballets_-_1595

(this is a collection of lyrics with music files to sing along to all of Thomas Morley’s music)

5. IT WAS A LOVER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0qYfb77ak - 

OP voice and music

It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green cornfield did pass
In springtime, the only pretty ringtime,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding,
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie
In springtime, etc.

This carol they began that hour,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that a life was but a flower
In springtime, etc.

And therefore take the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownèd with the prime
In springtime, etc.

6. WILL YOU BUY A FINE DOG?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=326dAst_Lj8 - voice and music

Will you buy a fine dog, with a hole in his head?
With a dildo, dildo, dildo;
Muffs, cuffs, ribatos, and fine sisters' thread,
With a dildo, dildo;
I stand not on points, pins, periwigs, combs, glasses,
Gloves, garters, girdles, busks, for the brisk lasses;
But I have other dainty tricks,
Sleek stones and potting sticks,
With a dildo, diddle, dildo;
And for a need my pretty pods,
Amber, civet, and musk cods,
With a dildo, with a diddle, dildo!

Thomas Ravenscroft

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ravenscroft/  - Great compendium 

Country Dances to Song 

Sellengers Round

http://www.terrasoft.hu/kultura/consort/kotta/sellengers_round.pdf - Pepys Ballads

Farewell, Adieu 

1567 in Horestes Play to the tune sellengers round

See lost songs of the English Renaissance Comedy link above.

Farewell, adieu that courtly life, to war we tend to go, 

It is good sport to see the strife, of soldiers in a row 

How merrily they forward march, these enemies to slay,

With hey--- trim and trixy too, their banners they my display

Now shall we have the golden cheats when others want the same

And soldiers have full many feats their enemies to tame

Will couching here, and booming there, they break their foes array 

And lusty lads a mid the fields their ensigns do display

The drum and flute play lustily, the trumpet blows a main

And venturous knights courageously, do march before their train

With spears in rest so lively dress’d in armor bright and gay

With hey---trim and trixy too, their banners they display. 

Stand Back, ye Sleeping Jacks - mistakenly to the tune Heart’s Ease

Stand back, ye sleeping Jacks at home and let me go

You lie sir knave, am I a mome: Why say you so?

Tut tut you dare not come in field, for fear you should the ghost up yield

With blose, he goes shot fly, it fears, it sears, and there doth lie

A hundred in a moment be, destroy ed quite

Sir Sauce, in faith, if you should see, the gun shot light

To quake for fear you would not stint, when as by force of gunshots dint, the 

ranks in ray are took a way, as pleaseth fortune oft to play

But in this stower who bears the fame, but only I

Revenge, revenge, will have the name, or he will die

I spare no wight, I fear none ill, but with this blade I will them kill, for

When mine ear, is set on fire, I rap them, I snap them, that is my desire

Farewell adieu, to wars I must, in all the haste

My cosen cutpurse will I trust, your purse well taste

But to it man, and fear for nought, me say to thee it is well fraught, 

With ruddocks red be at a beck, beware the arse, break not thy neck!

How to learn English Period Songs

Beginner:

Step One: 

Google ‘booke of airs’ or ‘book of ayres’ or ‘booke of ayres’ etc…

Step Two: 

Pick a medieval musician. 

Step Three: 

Find Youtube video’s of their songs.

Step Four: 

Learn the song. 

Intermediate:

Step One:

Search books of songs (i.e. fitzwilliams virginals, ladye nevells, etc…)

Step Two:

Pick a name from inside the book

Step Three: 

Research their works / pick one

Step Four: 

Learn the song via midi sound player, youtube or other. 

ADVANCED GUIDE

Step One:

Use these handy links: 

https://imslp.org/wiki/Browse_people_by_time_period 

https://ebba.english.ucsb.edu/

Use google scholar! 

Use the library! 

Do the thing!

Step Two: 

Learn the song.