Greensleeves

Here’s a contemporary take on Greensleeves, the anonymous 16th century song of unrequited love written to what became one of England’s best known tunes. A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves was published in London in 1580. The tune was clearly popular: over the next century, numerous other songs were written for it – including parodies of the original, a hymn, a warning to Roman Catholic traitors, a new year carol and many others. The lyrics used here are drawn from a 1584 version of the song entitled A New Courtly Sonnet of the Lady Green Sleeves – slightly adapted for this post-modern age. You can read the original lyrics in full at https://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/ballads/handful.html#green.

In this wry arrangement, the tune passes between the basses and the sopranos, accompanied by sweet dissonance throughout!