"The Toronto Consort’s new recording of music of Queen Elizabeth I is a welcome addition to the English Renaissance discography. Their performance is finely polished and beautifully presented. The singers deserve high praise for their excellent ensemble sound." - Harmonia
"Almost anything performed by the Toronto Consort cheers me right up. This band - so expert, so rhythmically alive, so humorous, at times so touching - has such an infectious time doing what it does so well, I just sit and smile." - Ken Winters, The Globe and Mail.
With their usual charm and passion, The Toronto Consort recreates musical life at the court of Elizabeth I. Many of these songs were written for or about this remarkable monarch, and others are songs that would have been performed at her court.
The Queen was an accomplished musician so it is likely that she played many of these songs herself. Elizabeth was also, famously, a lover of dancing and dance music. A courtier reported, "the Queene is so well as I assure you, six or seven galliards in a morning, besides musicke and singing, is her ordinairie exercise". Even as she lay dying, Elizabeth is said to have asked for music so that she might die as gaily as she lived. She heard music until her last breath.
The musicians and singers on this recording are:
Michelle DeBoer, soprano
David Fallis, Artistic Director, tenor
Ben Grossman, cittern
Katherine Hill, soprano, viola da gamba
Paul Jenkins, tenor, harpsichord
Terry McKenna, lute, bandora
Alison Melville, recorder, renaissance flute
John Pepper, bass
Laura Pudwell, mezzo-soprano
with: Lucas Harris, bandora
Christopher Verrette, violin
Catalog: MAR 387
Preview or purchase on iTunes Canada USA
Track Listing
1. See, see the shepheards queene - Thomas Tomkins (Listen)
2. Can she excuse my wrongs - John Dowland (Listen)
3. Lord Willoughby - Anonymous (Listen)
4. Essex last good-night - Anonymous (Listen)
5. The Queenes treble - John Johnson (Listen)
6. When Dasies pied - Anonymous
7. O Mistris mine - Thomas Morley
8. Ring out your bels - Anonymous
9. Nuttmigs and Ginger - Anonymous
10. Wooe her and win her - Thomas Campion
11. Time stands still & The Lady Frances Sidneys Almayne
- John Dowland & Richard Allison
12. Say love if ever thou didst find - John Dowland
13. Courant, of harte diefje waerom zoo stil - Jakob van Eyck
14. Each lovely grace - William Corkine
15. Where are all thy beauties now? - Thomas Campion
16. The Sacred End Pavin - Thomas Morley
17. In Eighty-eight - Anonymous
18. The Queenes Alman - William Byrd
19. With fragrant flowers - Francis Pilkington
20. His golden locks - John Dowland
21. All creatures now - John Bennet
22. Fly Love - Thomas Morley
Total playing time 64:10
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