GREENSLEEVES transcribed for Hammered Duclimer by Peter Jones

Most of what people think they know about “Greensleeves” is incorrect. THE HENRY VIII MYTH King Henry VIII did not compose it. The song is written in an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until well after his death. The melody was first officially registered in 1580, while Henry VIII died in 1547. THE "GREEN STAINS" LEGEND Rumor has it that the title implies making love in the grass, leaving green stains on a woman's sleeves. However, this association is historically inaccurate. Green was fashionable, symbolic color of courtly love, youth, and springtime in the Medieval and Tudor eras — long before later periods associated it with promiscuity. Noblewomen often wore green gowns with absolutely no scandalous connotation. THE LOST VERSES Because "Greensleeves" evolved through oral folk traditions, many versions exist. The original 1580 lyrics are lost to history. The oldest surviving text comes from a 1584 poetry anthology, spanning 18 full verses with a recurring chorus. It tells the story of a wealthy man besotted with a woman. He showers her with extravagant gifts — an expensive wardrobe, food, jewelry, gold-plated knives, a fine horse, personal servants, and private musicians. Despite all this, she rejects his advances and refuses to love him. THE RENAISSANCE MUSICAL STRUCTURE The original tune uses the Dorian mode. It is built over the Romanesca and Passamezzo Antico, which were popular melodic-harmonic ground bass formulas from the 1550s Italian Renaissance used for singing poetry. THE VAUGHAN WILLIAMS CONNECTION In 1929, English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams integrated the melody into Sir John in Love, a Shakespearean opera based on The Merry Wives of Windsor (where Shakespeare mentions “Greensleeves”). In 1934, composer Ralph Greaves adapted Vaughan Williams's opera interlude into the famous standalone concert piece, Fantasia on "Greensleeves". Running about 5 minutes, this lovely orchestral work uses an ABA form. It uses "Greensleeves" as the main theme and a separate traditional English folk tune, "Lovely Joan," as the B section. MY ARRANGEMENT Inspired by Vaughan Williams's orchestral version, I start with a arpeggio and a Dorian scale leading into the main tune. The first verse I play with leather hammers, and the second verse with wood hammers. I tried another arpeggiated ending, but prefer Vaughan Williams’ same tierce de Picardie ending (concluding a minor-key piece with an unexpected bright major chord).