John Dowland (c. 1563 - 1626) was an English
Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best
known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come,
heavy sleep", "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my
Lady weepe", "Now o now I needs must part" and "In
darkness let me dwell". His instrumental music has
undergone a major revival, and with the 20th century's
early music revival, has been a continuing source of
repertoire for lutenists and classical guitarists. Very
little is known of John Dow...(+)
John Dowland (c. 1563 - 1626) was an English
Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best
known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come,
heavy sleep", "Come again", "Flow my tears", "I saw my
Lady weepe", "Now o now I needs must part" and "In
darkness let me dwell". His instrumental music has
undergone a major revival, and with the 20th century's
early music revival, has been a continuing source of
repertoire for lutenists and classical guitarists. Very
little is known of John Dowland's early life, but it is
generally thought he was born in London; some sources
even put his birth year as 1563. Irish historian W. H.
Grattan Flood claimed that he was born in Dalkey, near
Dublin, but no corroborating evidence has ever been
found either for that or for Thomas Fuller's claim that
he was born in Westminster. There is a piece of
evidence pointing to Dublin as his place of origin: he
dedicated the song "From Silent Night" to 'my loving
countryman Mr. John Forster the younger, merchant of
Dublin in Ireland'. The Forsters were a prominent
Dublin family at the time, providing several Lord
Mayors to the city.
"Come Again, sweet love doth now invite" is a song by
John Dowland. The lyrics are anonymous. The song is
bitter-sweet, typical of Dowland who cultivated a
melancholy style. It was included in Dowland's First
Booke of Songes or Ayres, which appeared in 1597. The
piece is often performed as a lute song by soloist and
lute, but, like other songs in the First Booke, it is
printed in a format that can also be performed as a
madrigal by a small vocal group (typically SATB). The
first two verses are addressed to the lover. The later
verses speak to the reader about the lover, and the
singer's thoughts. In the first verse, the words "to
touch, to kiss, to die, with thee again in sweetest
sympathy" use the Elizabeth euphemism of "dying" for
experiencing orgasm, literally, "come again! sweet
love". But the poet's later thoughts shift to ideas of
actual death, dying "in deadly pain". His love is
unrequited, so he asks "Love", that is "Eros" or
"Cupid" to withdraw his "wounding dart" that inspires a
person to love.
Two major influences on Dowland's music were the
popular consort songs, and the dance music of the day.
Most of Dowland's music is for his own instrument, the
lute. It includes several books of solo lute works,
lute songs (for one voice and lute), part-songs with
lute accompaniment, and several pieces for viol consort
with lute. The poet Richard Barnfield wrote that
Dowland's "heavenly touch upon the lute doth ravish
human sense." One of his better known works is the lute
song "Flow my tears".
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Again_(Dowland)).
Although originally written for Chorus (SATB). I
created this Arrangement of "Come Again, Sweet Love
doth Now Invite" from "First Booke of Songes or Ayres"
for String Quartet (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC