Nigel North, the lutenist on this recording, edited some of the lute versions of pieces by William Byrd to suit his own hands and to better bring out certain voices and counterpoint.
Compositional Technique
John Johnson's 'Walsingham' is described as breathtakingly simple, while his 'Carman's Whistle' is technically very demanding despite sounding uncomplicated.
Recording & Production
The use of two different lutes allowed settings of tunes like 'Go From My Window' and 'Walsingham', originally written a tone apart, to appear to be of the same pitch on the recording.
Historical Context
The recording features tunes that were popular in their time, such as 'Greensleeves', 'Robyn Is To The Greenwood Gone', and 'John, Come Kiss Me Now', appearing in anonymous versions.
Instruments
Nigel North used two lutes for this recording: an eight-course lute in G for earlier pieces and a nine-course lute in F for later works, to achieve variety and sonority.
Composer Biography
William Byrd, the only non-lutenist composer represented on this album, originally composed 'My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home' and 'The Woods So Wild' for keyboard.
Composer Biography
John Johnson, a less well-known figure than Dowland, was one of Queen Elizabeth I's three court lutenists for fifteen years.
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