Author archives: Robert Vanderzweerde

Researching John Dowland

I always research a piece of music and/or the composer as I arrange it and a summary of what I’ve found is included in the books I assemble. For John Dowland, there is a definitive book by Diane Poulton (you’ll notice her index number at the bottom of the piece I arranged) written in 1972 which is available for free at archive.org. I haven’t read the whole book and use it for reference. She was a an English lutenist and musicologist.
I also try to find original folios of the music, many of which are downloadable. Here are two samples of “My Lord Willoughby’s Welcome Home” from notebooks of 1610.
My Lord WIlloughby - Folio V1   My Lord WIlloughby - Folio V2

Dowland Favorites

I’m looking at more music to arrange for ukulele and have been researching Adrian Le Roy, Gregoire Brayssing, Guillaume Morlaye, Simon Gorlier, and John Dowland. I may start with some easy/intermediate pieces by Dowland (the first one being Tarleton’s Resurrection) but will tackle other composers if there is interest.

NOTE: Dowland Favorites on the Ukulele was published on April 24, 2020.

Yuletide music ready

Just finished a book of Yuletide or Christmas music (it will be available for purchase this fall). I had a lot of fun researching the origins of these pieces and some older versions don’t sound at all like our modern renditions so I included both versions and you can see for yourself. Each piece can be played as an instrumental solo or sung (a separate booklet has all the words that you can share with your friends as they sing along with you). Included in the book is a brief history of each piece with an explanation of its origins and development.

NOTE: The book was published on October 7, 2019.

Planning for Yuletide music

I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m starting planning for “The Yuletide Ukulele”. The music takes many months to research and arrange so I have to start now to be ready for next Christmas. Of course the music needs to be ancient (nothing later than18th century if possible) and there is too much of it out there to do it all. The main book will be the music, including chords, with a separate booklet with the words if there are any. Here’s a list of possible pieces and I’m looking for feedback on these please …
Coventry Carol
The boar’s head carol
In dulci jubilo
Resonent in laudibus
Riu, riu chiu
Hodie Christus nastus est
Psallite unigenite
Greensleeves (What Child Is This)
Branle de l’Offical
Joseph lieber
Es is ein Ros entsprungen
Cherry Tree carol
Viens Vite
Ciaccon in partie variata
All you that are good fellows
The old yeare now away is fled
Angels We Have Heard on High
Silent Night (actually 1818 so it’s 19th century)
The First Noel
The Holly and the Ivy
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

An Arrangement from the Baroque

I am working on a book of Baroque pieces right now. Here’s an illustration of a score from that period (it’s not the one that I am arranging — it’s an illustration of a score from that time period) by Weiss. And here’s a sample of a Menuet by Weiss that I am including in the book using modern musical notation and tablature.

Illustration of a Baroque Score (Weiss)

Illustration of a Modern Score (Weiss)

First Arrangement from the Renaissance

Almande “La mon amy la” is a piece by Adrian Le Roy and is included in his 1551 book “Premier livre de tabulature de guiterre”. Here’s what the music looked like in his book and the modern arrangement in “The Renaissance Ukulele”.

You can hear a recording of this played on a Renaissance Guitar (a four course guitar) by searching on YouTube for “early music muse the history of the guitar in four and a half minutes”. It’s the first piece on the video but the rest of the video is fun to watch.
Illustration of a Renaissance Score (Almande)
Illustration of a Modern Score (Almande)