From Jeff’s Studio: Go From My Window (Folger Manuscript)

Director of Early Music Missouri, Jeff Noonan, was asked recently to make some short “show & tell” videos about the lute and related instruments for a music appreciation class. Perhaps some of our fans will enjoy them. Go From My Window Anonymous (Folger Manuscript, c. 1590) This video features a set of variations or “divisions” on a tune popular in the late 16th century. A well-known song, “Go From My Window” appeared on the stage in at least one play in the early 17th century. The simple melody is charming and the increasingly complex divisions entertaining for both player and listener. This setting of “Go From My Window” can be found in the Folger Manuscript, a famous collection of lute music associated with lutenists John Dowland and John Johnson.