"Ground " by William Croft | Tuomas Kourula, lute solo

This famous Ground by William Croft is a work based on a ground bass, a very popular compositional device throughout the history of music. Usually, and also in this case, it means a set of variations built on a repeating bass pattern. Henry Purcell was particularly fond of this method of composing, and that may be why this composition has often been attributed to him. This Ground does not, however, bear the hallmarks of Purcell's genius, the restless and searching harmonies, but rather a more sedate and quietly melancholic resignation. For me personally this piece is important, because it is one that marks the transition from playing guitar to being principally a lutenist. Performed on the lute by Tuomas Kourula The video was shot in St. Catherine's church (Katariinankirkko) in Turku, Finland.