John Dowland facts for kids

Title page of 1604 Lachrimae

John Dowland (around 1563 – buried February 20, 1626) was an English composer, lute player, and singer during the Renaissance period. He is famous for his sad or "melancholy" songs. Some of his best-known songs include "Come, heavy sleep", "Come again", "Flow my tears", and "In darkness let me dwell".

Today, his instrumental music is also very popular. Many lutenists and classical guitarists still play his pieces.

Dowland's Life and Music
Published Music Collections
Unpublished Works
Dowland's Loyalty and Challenges
Dowland's Family Life
Music Scores
See also

Dowland's Life and Music

We don't know much about John Dowland's early life. Most people think he was born in London around 1563. Some historians have suggested he was born near Dublin, Ireland, because he once dedicated a song to a "loving countryman" from Dublin.

In 1580, Dowland moved to Paris, France. He worked for the English ambassador there. During this time, he became a Roman Catholic. Around 1584, he returned to England and got married.

In 1594, there was an opening for a lute player at Queen Elizabeth I's court. Dowland tried to get the job but didn't succeed. He believed it was because he was Catholic, even though his conversion wasn't public. Other Catholic musicians, like William Byrd, did work for the Protestant court.

From 1598, Dowland worked for King Christian IV of Denmark. King Christian loved music and paid Dowland a lot of money. Dowland earned 500 daler a year, making him one of the highest-paid people at the Danish court. However, Dowland often stayed too long when he visited England for publishing or other reasons. Because of this, he was fired in 1606 and went back to England.

In 1612, Dowland finally got a job as a lute player for King James I of England. He didn't write many new songs after this royal appointment. He died in London in 1626 and was buried on February 20, 1626.

Dowland's music was influenced by popular songs and dance music of his time. Most of his pieces were written for the lute. He wrote many solo lute works and lute songs, which are for one singer and lute. He also wrote music for groups of viols with a lute. The poet Richard Barnfield said that Dowland's "heavenly touch upon the lute doth ravish human sense."

One of his most famous instrumental works is Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares. This is a collection of seven pavanes (a slow dance) for five viols and a lute. Each piece is based on the tune from his song "Flow my tears". This collection became very popular. His pavane, "Lachrymae antiquae", was also well-known and used by other composers.

Dowland's music often shows a feeling of melancholia or sadness. This was a popular style in music back then. He even wrote a piece called "Semper Dowland, semper dolens" (meaning "always Dowland, always sad"). This title perfectly describes much of his work.

Published Music Collections

Here are some of the important collections of music John Dowland published during his life.

Whole Book of Psalms (1592)

This book was published in 1592 and included songs by 10 different composers. Dowland contributed six pieces:

Put me not to rebuke, O Lord (Psalm 38)
All people that on earth do dwell (Psalm 100)
My soul praise the Lord (Psalm 104)
Lord to thee I make my moan (Psalm 130)
Behold and have regard (Psalm 134)
A Prayer for the Queens most excellent Maiestie

New Book of Tablature (1596)

Published in 1596, this book contained seven solo lute pieces by Dowland.

Lamentatio Henrici Noel (1596)

This collection might have been written for the choir at Westminster Abbey. It includes:

The Lamentation of a sinner
Domine ne in furore (Psalm 6)
Miserere mei Deus (Psalm 51)
The humble sute of a sinner
The humble complaint of a sinner
De profundis (Psalm 130)
Domine exaudi (Psalm 143)

Some other songs that might be by Dowland are:

Ye righteous in the Lord
An heart that's broken
I shame at my unworthiness

First Book of Songs (1597)

Dowland published his First Booke of Songes or Ayres in London in 1597. It has 21 lute-songs and was very important for lute music. Many of these songs were written long before they were published. This book was designed so it could be played by a solo singer with a lute, or by different groups of singers and instruments.

Here are some of the songs:

Vnquiet thoughts
Who euer thinks or hopes of loue for loue
My thoughts are wingd with hopes
If my complaints could passions moue
Can she excuse my wrongs with vertues cloake
Now, O now I needs must part ("The Frog Galliard")
Deare if you change ile neuer chuse againe
Burst forth my teares
Go Cristall teares
Thinkst thou then by thy faining
Come away, come sweet loue
Rest awhile you cruell cares
Sleepe wayward thoughts
All ye whom loue of fortune hath betraide
Wilt though vnkind thus reaue me of thy hart
Would my conceit that first enforst my woe
Come again: sweet loue doth now enuite
His goulden locks time hath to siluer turnd
Awake sweet loue thou art returned
Come heauy sleepe
Awaie with these selfe louing lads

At the end of this collection, there is an instrumental piece called "My Lord Chamberlaine, His Galliard". It is for two people to play on one lute.

Second Book of Songs (1600)

Dowland's Second Booke of Songs or Ayres was published in 1600. It contains 22 lute songs and an instrumental piece called "Dowland’s adew for Master Oliver Cromwell".

Some of the songs are:

I saw my Lady weepe
Flow my teares fall from your springs
Sorow sorow stay, lend true repentant teares
Dye not before thy day
Mourne, mourne, day is with darknesse fled
Times eldest sonne, old age the heire of ease, First part
Then sit thee downe, and say thy Nunc demittis, Second Part
When others sings Venite exultemus, Third part
Praise blindnesse eies, for seeing is deceipt
O sweet woods, the delight of solitarienesse
If fluds of teares could clense my follies past
Fine knacks for Ladies, cheap, choise, braue and new
Now cease my wandring eyes
Come ye heavie states of night
White as Lillies was hir face
Wofull heart with griefe oppressed
A Sheperd in a shade his plaining made
Faction that euer dwells in court
Shall I sue, shall I seeke for grace
Finding in fields my Siluia all alone (Toss not my soul)
Cleare or Cloudie sweet as Aprill showring
Humor say what makst thou heere

Third Book of Songs (1603)

The Third and Last Booke of Songs or Aires was published in 1603. It has 21 songs, including:

Farewell too faire
Time stands still
Behold the wonder heere
Daphne wast not so chaste as she was changing
Me me and none but me
When Phoebus first did Daphne loue
Say loue if euer thou didst finde
Flow not so fast ye fountaines
What if I neuer speede
Loue stood amaz'd at sweet beauties paine
Lend your eares to my sorrow good people
By a fountaine where I lay
Oh what hath ouerwrought my all amazed thought
Farewell vnkind farewell
Weepe you no more sad fountaines
Fie on this faining, is loue without desire
I must complaine, yet doe enioy
It was a time when silly Bees could speake
The lowest trees haue tops
What poore Astronomers are they
Come when I call, or tarrie till I come

Lachrimae (1604)

The Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares was published in 1604. It contains the seven famous "Lachrimae" pavans and 14 other pieces. One of these is the well-known Semper Dowland semper Dolens.

Some pieces from this collection are:

Lachrimae Antiquae
Lachrimae Antiquae Nouae
Lachrimae Gementes
Lachrimae Tristes
Lachrimae Coactae
Lachrimae Amantis
Lachrimae Verae
Semper Dowland semper Dolens
Sir Henry Vmptons Funeral
M. Iohn Langtons Pauan
The King of Denmarks Galiard
The Earle of Essex Galiard
Sir Iohn Souch his Galiard
M. Henry Noell his Galiard
M. Giles Hoby his Galiard
M. Nicho. Gryffith his Galiard
M. Thomas Collier his Galiard with two trebles
Captaine Piper his Galiard
M. Bucton his Galiard
Mrs Nichols Almand
M. George Whitehead his Almand

Micrologus (1609)

In 1609, Dowland published his translation of a music book called Micrologus. It was originally written in Latin in 1517.

Varietie of Lute-Lessons (1610)

Dowland's son, Robert, published this book in 1610. It features solo lute pieces by his father and other composers.

A Musicall Banquet (1610)

This book was also published by Robert Dowland in the same year. It includes three songs by John Dowland:

Farre from Triumphing Court
Lady If You So Spight Me
In Darknesse Let Me Dwell

A Pilgrimes Solace (1612)

Dowland's last published work was A Pilgrimes Solace, released in 1612. It seems to be a collection of music with different parts playing together, rather than just solo pieces. Many people consider it a masterpiece of English lute songs.

Some of the songs are:

Disdaine me still, that I may euer loue
Sweete stay a while, why will you?
To aske for all thy loue
Loue those beames that breede
Shall I striue with wordes to moue
Were euery thought an eye
Stay time a while thy flying
Tell me true Loue
Goe nightly cares, the enemy to rest
From silent night, true register of moanes
Lasso vita mia, mi fa morire
In this trembling shadow
If that a Sinners sighes be Angels food
Thou mighty God
When Dauids life by Saul
When the poore Criple
Where Sinne sore wounding
My heart and tongue were twinnes
Vp merry Mates, to Neptunes praise
Welcome black night
Cease these false sports
A Galliard to Lachrimae

Unpublished Works

Many of Dowland's musical pieces still exist only as handwritten copies.

Dowland's Loyalty and Challenges

John Dowland sometimes worked as a secret agent for Sir Robert Cecil in France and Denmark. Even though he was paid well, he was mainly a court musician.

Dowland himself wrote about being involved in a Catholic plot in Italy for a short time. He had traveled there hoping to meet a famous composer named Luca Marenzio. Despite being Catholic, Dowland was very loyal to Queen Elizabeth. He felt a bit upset because the Queen once said he "was a man to serve any prince in the world, but [he] was an obstinate Papist." Even though the plotters offered him a lot of money from the Pope and safe travel for his family, he decided not to join their plans. He asked for forgiveness from Sir Robert Cecil and the Queen.

Dowland's Family Life

John Dowland was married and had children. He mentioned them in a letter to Sir Robert Cecil. However, he was often separated from his family because his wife stayed in England while he worked in other countries.

His son, Robert Dowland (around 1591 – 1641), was also a musician. Robert later took over his father's job as a lute player at the royal court after John died.

Many people have said that Dowland's sad songs and music were just an "artistic persona" and that he was actually a cheerful person. However, his own complaints and the bitter tone in some of his comments suggest that his music and his melancholy feelings truly came from his own personality and frustrations.

Music Scores

A complete collection of John Dowland's lute music, with notes for both lute and keyboard, was put together by Diana Poulton and Basil Lam. It was published in London in 1974.