Written by John Dowland, In Darkness Let Me Dwell was originally published in a book entitled Musicall Banquet. Dowland contributed three songs to this book (including the one I have endeavored to study), which was a compilation put together by his son Robert. The book was originally published in 1610, though the song I chose was written several years before.
I. About the composer:
John Dowland was likely born in the year 1563 as indicated by his introduction in A Pilgrim’s Solace and Varietie of Lute-Lessons. Though his birth place is debated he spent the majority of his life either in England or continental Europe. A talented singer, lutenist, and performer he was a prolific composer and held several court appointments. He received a Bachelors of Music from two colleges, Christ Church, Oxford in 1588 and the other most likely from Cambridge (though some argue his second degree came from Trinity College in Dublin). He does not speak of his parentage or childhood in depth, but in reference to his musical development he writes “from my childhood I haue euer aymed at [it], sundry times leauing my native country, the better to attain so excellent a science”[1]
In 1580, Dowland went to Paris as a servant for Sir Henry Cobham, possibly to further his musical studies, and while there was converted from a Protestant to Catholic faith. He later came to believe that this conversion was a hindrance to his career because of his inability to receive an English court appointment until very late in life. While he believed this lack of appointment was caused by his religious affiliation, the idea may not be well founded. This is evidenced by the public declaration issued in 1571 by Queen Elizabeth letting her citizens know that as long as they did not break the law she had no intention of bothering them about their religion. Whatever the reason for his rejection, Dowland continued to seek out appointments in other courts until he was finally accepted to the court in England. His major works The First, Second, and Third Booke of Songes or Ayres were published in 1597, 1600, and 1603 respectively, followed by A Pilgrim’s Solace in 1612.
II. About the piece and its performance:
I am using an edited, modern score with the lute tablature transcribed for keyboard instruments. Generally, the vocal line of this piece would be accompanied by the lute, but as I neither play the lute nor know anyone who does, I am accompanying myself on a small lever harp. This change in instruments will lead to a different sound in the accompaniment because of the difference in resonant qualities as well as tones created by different string fibers. Typically lute strings were made of animal intestine while my harp is currently strung with nylon. The sound of the nylon strings is brighter than gut would have been, but as gut is harder to keep in tune because of sensitivities to temperature and humidity (not to mention the expense and time) I have not changed my strings for this performance. However, I have changed, by moving up an octave, or simply left out several notes because of my harp’s lack in the lower register.
When deciding how to sing the piece I found that general practice of the time was to use a straight tone with little vibrato. The purpose of singing was to convey the meaning of the piece in every aspect of the song it. The words must be clear and the dynamics and tone must convey the correct emotion and not interfere with it. In a book which Dowland translated there are “ten precepts necessary for every singer”[2] of these number three states: “Let every singer conform his voice to the words, that as much as he can he make the Concent sad when the words are sad: and merry when they are merry.”[3] Using this as a guideline I have attempted to fit my voice to the mood of grief found within the poetry of the song.
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(End notes (because I couldn't transfer the page breaks) are below the Bibliography)____
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dowland, John. Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus, or Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing. (London, 1609). Quoted in MacClintock. Readings in the History of Music in Performance. Indiana University Press, 1994.
Dowland, John. In Darkness Let Me Dwell. Edited by Edmund H. Fellows. Revised by David Scott. London: Stainer and Bell Ltd., 1997.
Dowland, John. The First Booke of Songes or Ayres. 1597. Quoted in Poulton, Diana. John Dowland. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982.
Elliott, Martha. Singing in Style: A Guide to Vocal Performance Practices. Yale University Press, 2008.
Erber, James. “Preface.” In John Dowland Fifty Songs for High Voice Book 2, 2. London: Stainer and Bell Ltd., 1997.
Kimball, Carol. Song: a guide to art song style and literature. Hal Leonard Company, 2006
Nadal, David. Lute Songs of John Dowland: The Original First and Second Books Including Dowland’s Original Lute Tablature. Dover Publications, 1997.
Poulton, Diana. John Dowland. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982.
[1] John Dowland, The First Booke of Songes or Ayres, 1597 Quoted in Diana Poulton, John Dowland (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1982), 26.
[2] John Dowland, Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus, or Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing (London, 1609), quoted in MacClintock, Readings in the History of Music in Performace, (Indiana University Press), 160.
[3] Ibid.
This looks really good, Nikki. I did my music history project on Dowland last year and based on what I remember from that, all your facts are correct! And I got excited because I'm also performing this piece, for my senior recital :D The only thing I would say (other than a couple of comma splices I noticed) is that you might want to repeat the title of the song when you start talking about it specifically in the second section - I had forgotten which one you were doing and had to go back and look. But otherwise, really nice, and I wish I could hear you sing it!
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