Love's Constancy - by Nicholas Lanier

Mignarda lutesong duo, Donna Stewart & Ron Andrico, in an informal setting at the home of Danny Shoskes.

This is one of our favorite English continuo songs. The poem is by Thomas Carew and was set to a wonderful chaconne ground bass by Nicolas Lanier. We perform this as we believe it was intended; as an accessible bit of sung poetry rather than a concert show piece.

Thanks Danny, for your technological expertise, without which we'd still be waiting for the pressing of the 78 RPM record to come back from the factory!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mignarda
• lute
• lutesong
• lanier
• carew
• no
• more
• shall
• meads
• love's
• constancy

[Lanierlaw37379]

Is there sheet music available for the songs of Nicholas Lanier, Jerome Bassano, etc.? I am also related to them. I play classical piano and compose for a hobby. I would like to write modern variations on their themes.

Christian Lanier

[lutesongs]

@Lanierlaw37379

In response, yes, there is sheet music available for the music of Nicholas Lanier and the Bassanos. You can try searching the Musica Britannica series, found in most any academic library. There is also an edition of the Complete Works of Nicholas Lanier by Gordon J. Callon (I believe his comments are found on this thread) available from Severinus Press. You can find a pdf of our edition of the music for this song available on our website (voice and unfigured bass).

[JoelvanLennep]

Beautiful. Ron, is your axe strung in gut? It has the warmth of gut.

[lutesongs]

Thank you for your kind words, Joel. I think the lute was strung with a mixture of different strings at that time, some gut and some Nylgut and with copper-wound basses. I will be trying out a set of silk strings soon.

[OrlannWands]

What a wonderfully sensitive and charming performance! The chaconne is treated quite elegantly, and it's not in the least bit aggressive as grounds can sometimes be. I'm especially fond of Ms. Stewart's interpretation; her voice is rich without being in the least bit inauthentic to the style of the English continuo song. The ornamentation also evidences some sean-nos Celtic influence.

I love the lower key; would you happen to know what edition you used?

[lutesongs]

Thank you for your kind and insightful comments about our performance. We used our own performing edition, which is available to download on our website, mignarda (dot) com.

Ron & Donna

[IkuzeTV]

believe it ore not, but nicolas lanier is my great great great...... grandfather.

im from the lanier family and i see where it has gotten it great music skills from.

grandfather. your my hero !

[AcadiaMusicEditor]

@TrickTOlly There were two English court musicians of this family named Nicholas Lanier. The one who wrote this song (and other music) lived 1588-1666. He was a court musician (lute & voice) from 1616, and the first Master of the King's Music from 1625. He was an important composer of music for Masques. The elder Nicholas Lanier (c. 1523-1612) was grandfather of the younger. He first was a French court musician under Henri II. He was an English court musician (flute) from 1561.

[AcadiaMusicEditor]

@TrickTOlly Nicholas Lanier (1588-1666; the one who wrote this song) was the nephew of Emilia Bassano who was married to Alphonso Lanier (his uncle). There is evidence that Emilia Bassano/Lanier was Shakespeare's "Dark Lady". The evidence is explained in David Lasocki, The Bassanos (Aldershot, Hants: Scolar Press, 1995), Chapter 3 (written by Roger Prior), pp. 114-139.

[TrickTOlly]

Very beatiful. Was it that there were 3 Nicholas Lanier s? or some quack says he is a relation of Shakespears' Dark Lady?