>> If you look at a manuscript like Add. Ms. 24665 (vocal part + unfigured bass) you see some things which may show that an early 17th century musician had a slightly differant slant on things than we have. There are 74 songs. 5 from Dowland 8 from Campion 10 from Robert Jones 2 from John Bartlet plus a few others by Rosseter, Ford, Caccini etc and anon.
>From what I see at a glance all the Dowland songs are from the first 2 books of songes so it seems what you say about continuo songs may not be true at least for a 17th century musician. << Mark Interesting, thank you! Trial by document, we called this at school. ;-) Finding paper evidence in favour of your own point of view, or against the point of view of the other. But that is being unkind, because it is a valid point you are making. Sure, if I have a concert with favourite English songs from Dowland to Purcell, and can bring only one instrument, I'll play all songs on that one instruments. (Sounds like an archlute job to me ...) If it's going to be a theorbo I would choose later, more homophonic Dowland songs or the jolly early ones. Not the ones with the heavy polyphonic textures. But if I have to play Flow my Tears or I Saw my Lady Weep on theorbo anyway? Rather not, obviously, but I would do it, I suppose. The compiler of your manuscript had less problems with it than I have, or a less refined (not meant in a discriminating sense) musical taste. Perhaps I am over-refined in my musical taste, not the correct level of hip-ness here? But it does answer David R.'s question about 'can I play Dowland on a theorbo'. Trial by document, verdict: yes you can because the old ones did it! As in a message to Chris: subjectivity is not unimportant in art. ;-) David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
