PROGRAM NOTES FOR MY LORD OF OXENFORD'S MASKE: Edward de Vere and his circle

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About Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford (1550 - 1604)

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was a colorful, highly educated and well-travelled courtier who was praised in his time for his literary prowess. In 1562, he inherited his title and that of Lord Great Chamberlain of England but, as a minor, the 12 year-old Oxford was made a ward of the Crown and placed in the household of Lord Burghley, Queen Elizabeth's closest advisor. De Vere was educated in French and Latin, music, dance and other courtly skills. He was likely to have been influenced by his maternal uncle, Arthur Golding, who published an English translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses 1565-67. Oxford was awarded degrees from Cambridge and Oxford and studied law at Gray's Inn. He made his appearance at Elizabeth's court in the late 1560s, gained favor for his courtly abilities and became something of a tilting champion in tournaments. De Vere married Anne Cecil, the Lord Burghley's daughter, in 1571 and in 1575-6 he toured France, Germany and Italy, where he most likely adopted Roman Catholicism.

Oxford rubbed elbows with many notable Elizabethan literary figures, including Sir Philip Sidney. He maintained theatre companies and was a patron of several writers; those who dedicated works to him include Edmund Spenser, Arthur Golding, John Lyly, Anthony Munday, and Thomas Watson. His daughter, Susan, married the Earl of Montgomery, one of two 'brethren' to whom Shakespeare's First Folio was dedicated. Oxford 's role in music is not extensively documented but there survive a handful of lute, keyboard and ensemble pieces bearing his name, and it has recently come to light that he employed Robert Hales, who was later regarded as the Queen's favorite singer. John Farmer dedicated both his 1591 book of 40 two-part canons on the same plain song and his 1599 book of madrigals to Oxford, in which he praised his patron's affection for and his skill in music by writing that

without flattery be it spoken, those that know your Lordship know this, that using this science as a recreation your Lordship have overgone most of them that make it a profession.

Our program begins with the title track, My Lord of Oxenford's maske. Two complete settings of this piece for lute solo survive with the word 'march' substituted for 'maske' but we have chosen to present a highly decorated arrangement, along with its evocative title, from Thomas Morley's The First book of Consort Lessons (1599).

In Commendation of Music (When griping griefs) is a perfect example of a poem set to a chordal, dance-like ground. The poetry, found without music in The Paradyse of Daynty Devises (1576), is incorporated into a dialogue between Peter and the musicians in the play, Romeo and Juliet. The singing part, which appears awkwardly written if extracted from the complete arrangement, is derived from a setting for the cittern, a chordal instrument.

Kemp's jig and Tarleton’s resurrection are presented as an homage to two well-known stage actors who appeared in the plays of Shakespeare. A version of Kemp's jig, under the title 'The Parlement' is the first of several pieces on this recording taken from the famous lute manuscript now at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Greensleeves is so well-known as to need no introduction. Our version adds verses to the lute setting in the William Ballet lute manuscript, and the duet that follows is one of a handful found in the Folger lute manuscript.

The next set of three songs are extracts from the revenge play, Horestes, attributed to one John Pikeryng. While the name 'Pickering' has tantalizing associations for lute scholars (Jane Pickering's lute book, ca. 1620), Earl Showerman has demonstrated that the play appears to be a prototype for the famous Hamlet, and has also made a case for attributing authorship of the play to a young Edward de Vere. The three songs, all set to well-known ballad tunes of the sixteenth century, appear as dramatic interludes within the play. The first of the songs describes the epic of Helen of Troy in a scene centered on Clytemnestra and her replacement king, Egistus. The second song, Stand back, ye sleeping jacks, is a swaggering revengeful boast that was likely used to comic effect in the play, and the third song is sung by the character Vyce as a moralizing chorus.

The Willow Song is famous as Desdemona's lament found in the play, Othello. The willow as a symbol indicating forsaken love was part of the imagery associated with melancholy, and the song lyrics even go so far as to describe in detail the typical posture of a melancholy lover.

The three lute solos, My Lord of Oxford's galliard, Mrs. Winter's jump, and Dowland's Round Battle galliard are found in this same sequence in the Folger lute manuscript. The last two of this trio of pieces are definitely attributed to John Dowland, whose signature is attached to several other pieces in the manuscript. As far as we know, this recording is the first ever of the charming Oxford's galliard.

My mind to me a kingdom is, a poem attributed to the Earl of Oxford by Stephen May, is performed a cappella using the attractive and rhythmic treble part of a consort song setting by William Byrd.

With the song Faction that ever dwells, we begin a fantasia on a musical and poetic theme that outlines a possible interaction of the Queen and her noble subject. This song, with poetry titled 'Meglior aspero' and attributed to "E.O." in the 1591 edition of Sidney's Astrophel and Stella, is altered slightly and set for four voices and lute in Dowland's Second Booke of Songs or Ayres (1600). The musical setting begins with the same melodic and rhythmic figure as My Lord of Oxenford's maske (track 1), a conceit that would have been recognized by any astute courtier. The poetry outlines the familiar story of courtly intrigue, the taking of sides, a public argument (defiance) and perhaps an ensuing tilt, and the self-banishment of the wronged protagonist.

The next song in our progression is Dear if you change, from Dowland's First Booke of Songs (1597), a plea for favor and constancy. Our unsuccessful protagonist hies himself to a calmer refuge, as in the ballad tune Robin is to the Green Wood gone. But as in the title, Lord Willoughbies welcome home, he is temporarily restored to favor and welcomed home to court. Both of these ballad tune settings are from the Folger lute manuscript, where the second is attributed to Dowland.

In the next segment of our dialogue, the protagonist woos his lady with flattery, asking her to enjoy the pleasures of youth while she can. The poetry of O mistress mine is found in the play known as Twelfth Night, and the music, also from Morley's Consort Lessons (1599), is interpreted in a quiet and delicate arrangement for voice and lute.

"Go from my window," commands the Queen in our dialogue. Although this setting from the Folger lute manuscript is unattributed, the commonly known ballad tune was set with variations by the best instrumentalists of the day.

Flow my tears, is the melancholy response of our protagonist. This song from Dowland's Second Booke of Songs (1600) is one of the most important and defining masterpieces of the Elizabethan age. It is followed by Dowland's instrumental setting of the lament, Fortune my foe.

But all is not lost. The song, O, eyes leave off your weeping is a gentle plea to get on with life, a happy lesson for us all. This is the only piece attributed to Robert Hales, reputed to be Queen Elizabeth's favorite vocalist. Our setting is derived from Robert Dowland's A Musicall Banquet (1610).

The poetry of Take time while time doth last reiterates the plea to make the most of youth but here takes on more of a moralizing tone. The musical setting is the XVIth song from John Farmer's (c.1570-1601) Set of English Madrigals; To Foure Voices, a publication dedicated to his patron, the Earl of Oxford. The piece uses the device of a repeating ascending and descending hexachord, or six-note scale, that appears in the tenor voice. Our performance of the piece assigns the lower three voices to the lute, a common Elizabethan practice.

The final piece of our program is again from Dowland's First Booke (1597). The tune to Now, o now I needs must part is commonly known as the Frog galliard, a probable reference to the Queen's suitor, the Duke of Alençon. We take the sentiment of the poetry to heart and perform the piece with a wistful air.

Edward de Vere rested in obscurity until 1920, when it was first proposed that he was the actual author of Shakespeare's plays. Citing as prime indicators an advanced education, a knowledge of courtly life, direct contact with the theatre, contemporary praise of Oxford's literary works, and parallels between Oxford's life and the plays, a strong case was made by John Thomas Looney. According to his theory, Oxford published under a pseudonym, since it was considered disgraceful for a nobleman to write for the public theatre. For more recent research and information on the authorship question, we invite you to visit the web sites of The Shakespeare Fellowship or The Shakespeare Oxford Society.

This project was sparked by a collaboration with Earl Showerman when he invited Mignarda to perform and present a lecture-recital on music in Shakespeare at the Ashland Authorship Conference in 2005. Initially, Earl asked us to perform songs from the play Horestes for his presentation and, as can happen when creative people cross paths, the project snowballed. The performers gratefully acknowledge Earl's enthusiastic and erudite support.

Program notes ©2006 Ron Andrico
All music and arrangements on this disc ©2006 Ron Andrico & Donna Stewart, Mignarda