Search - Dowland, Extempore String Ensemble :: Music by John Dowland - The Extempore String Ensemble

More than three and one half centuries after his death, Dowland remains among the greatest melodists of all time, and his compositions for string consort and lute literally define their respective genres. This excellent recording highlights 13 instrumental works, employing various configurations of lute, theorbo (a large lute with extra bass strings), orpharion and bandora (wire-strung, lutelike instruments), guitar, violin, and sets of viols. Unlike other performers of this music, these players make a practice of extemporizing on the music, just as 16th- and 17th-century musicians would have done. The result is not only a unique performance, but one enhanced by an aura of spontaneity. The names of the tunes have their own charm: "The Shoemaker's Wife--A Toy," "Mistress Winter's Jump," and "Sir Henry Umpton's Funerall" are a few of the more colorful examples. --David Vernier