Alfred Deller, Deller Consort & Desmond Dupré - Shakespeare Songs And Consort Music

Harmonia Mundi - LP
France, 1982
Baroque / Classical / Folk

One of the records responsible for the rise in interest in Elizabethan music in the 1960's by legendary British singer and musicologist Alfred Deller. Deller mixes tunes by Thomas Morley or John Wilson with songs from Shakespeare's plays and anonymous traditional Elizabethan songs.

Just a quick reminder that it may seem as if Elizabethan music (same goes with Baroque music) has always been around, but it's absolutely not the case. Without the work - both as musicologists and as promoters - of people like Alfred Deller, we might never have cared, nor heard, this "ancient" music. Actually, British Folk music from the 1960's-1970's would have probably sounded very different if people like Deller did not offer their vision of Elizabethan music in that time. Greensleeves became a hit tune among folk singers, sung by the likes of Leonoard Cohen, Jacques Brel and Meredith Monk (while John Coltrane turned it into a Jazz standard) and Jazz went Elizabethan.

These 1967 recordings of Shakespeare songs are not significant for being the first but for being highly popular, reaching people far outside of the circles of ancient music aficionados, probably by embracing the popular song format. (NM/NM)

Tracklist

2. Take, O Take
3. O Mistress Mine
4. Strike It Up, Tabor
5. Willow Song
6. Where The Bee Sucks
7. How Should I Your True Love Know?
8. Walshingham Variations, Luth Solo
9. We Be Soldiers Three
10. When Griping Griefs
11. Full Fathom Five
12. Caleno Custure Me
13. Then They For Sudden Joy Did Weep
14. Bonny Sweet Robin, Luth Solo
15. When That I Was
16. Kemp' Jig, Luth Solo
17. Greensleeves
18. He That Will An Alehouse Keep
19. Non Nobis Domine