Old English Folk Tunes

[steve jones]

Not a style you hear much of around these parts, but none the less, I was wondering if anyone might be able to direct to me some info on old English folk music (Greensleeves and all that kind of stuff). You know the kind of stuff, often in Dorian mode, Robin Hood and all that lark 

Composers, dates, compositional techniques???

Cheers guys,

SJ

[pianistimo]

if you want to play the theme to masterpiece theater, God save the queen, mysterious barricades by couperin, and other fantastic english ditties...here's the site:

www.easybyte.org

www.free-scores.com  has some english music as well.  for instance 'sing ivy'
www.free-scores.com/PUBLIC/MUTOPIA/SingIvy_a4.pdf  gustav von holst

percy grainger, ralph vaughn williams, busoni, and others arranged fantastic renditions of popular english song.  i'm not 'in the know' about the songs per se - but to me, the king singers would be the ideal.  the sung songs and not the played - but you can get a feel by the sung to play them.

[steve jones]

Thanks Pianistimo,


Actually though, Im not so much interested in playing this music. Rather Id like to learn about it. I know a couple of the more famous tunes by ear, but I dont KNOW anything about it really. No idea who penned them, or when.

If I find anything I'll be sure to post if anyones interested,

SJ

[pianistimo]

you can find an amazing amount of information like this in the public library.  a lot of early english music was hymnal version and then (as with renaissance) you get the secular versions with the bawdy side.  you have these church going people that go to the pub later and change the words.

well, here's www.efdss.org   that might help.  i'm listening to 'mary and alo' right now.  you never can understand these english.  do they mean 'mary and halo?'  or is 'alo' a man?  that's the side that you must figure out. 

[bernhard]

Have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4827.msg45824.html#msg45824
(English virginalists)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[pianistimo]

along with purcell, william byrd and thomas tallis are cool dudes.  am just listening now to the king's singers on amazon with 'sing joyfully.'  it's a william byrd composition.

to play on a virginal was to play light and pleasantly, right.  not much like our modern day piano.  i saw a virginal at NYC arts museaum and it had these indentations under the key to pull up?  i don't know.  anyway - very different instrument than our modern day piano.

www.bigduck.com/english1.html

say, did you know that people used to think the name 'virginal' came from the idea that young virgins played these instruments.  but, it really stems from the latin word 'virga' which means 'key.'

[steve jones]

Lads and ladies, I just found a truly bonza site that has millions of old English, Celtic, European and American folk tunes and even some sea chanties! Most of them have midi files too.

https://www.contemplator.com/

This is just what I was looking for 

BB

[khantallis123]

Take a look at this:
earlymusician.weebly.com
Sheet music of the Middle Ages to the Classical Period, including Old English and Celtic Songs, and 17th Century English pieces from Musick's Handmaid.