Catalogue

Summary:

Shakespeare’s illustrious prose is inextricably linked with the music that was performed in his plays. The Bard frequently directed his characters to burst into song, cannily catering to the vast audiences who flocked to the Globe Theatre, expecting to enjoy the popular melodies of the day that were interwoven throughout the narrative. English novelist and biographer Peter Ackroyd remarked, “It can be argued that Shakespeare was the first dramatist to make song an integral part of the drama and can thus be seen as the begetter of the musical theatre.”

Play, Music! features music from such memorable plays as All’s Well that Ends Well, As You Like It, Hamlet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night and more, penned by prominent 16^th-century tunesmiths including John Dowland, King Henry VIII, Richard Tarleton and Shakespeare himself.

International ensemble THEATRO, founded and directed by GRAMMY^® Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Brian Kay, creates memorable theatrical experiences that transport modern audiences to bygone eras and places, illuminating the stories of the past with immersive and authentic ambience.

About Shakespeare’s use of music

English novelist and biographer Peter Ackroyd says of the Shakespearean theatre: ‘Words were not the only theatrical reality. There was much music.’ In Shakespeare’s lifetime, there would have been a small band of six or seven musicians, including a trumpet, drums, lutes and recorders, at the Globe Theatre. Many of the actors would have been trained in music, have played an instrument, or at the very least have been able to carry a tune. Stage directions even called for characters like Ophelia to enter the stage with a lute. His characters frequently burst into song. Not only fools such as Feste and Touchstone, but unlikely characters such as Hamlet and Iago were required to sing. ‘It can be argued that Shakespeare was the first dramatist to make song an integral part of the drama and can thus be seen as the begetter of the musical theatre’ (Ackroyd).

Foreign visitors frequently commented on the inseparable relationship between music and London’s stage performances, further emphasizing its significance. While Shakespeare composed many of the lyrics within his plays, none of the published works included musical notation or indications of the specific tunes to be used for the songs.

Shakespeare’s manuscripts and folio editions lack musical notation, but his plays are rich with references and quotations from the popular songs of his time. These ballads, widely known and cherished, were the soundtrack of daily life – sung in homes, hummed on the streets and enjoyed by all walks of life. Poets often penned new lyrics for these familiar tunes, while composers crafted variations, breathing new life into well-loved melodies. This practice has allowed ‘lost’ songs to be rediscovered within the text of Shakespeare’s works.

Popular songs were not only used, they were woven into his plays to add layers of meaning and emotion. This use wasn’t arbitrary – Shakespeare knew his audience would recognize the song’s implications, deepening the impact of a scene. His use of song demonstrates his deep understanding of music’s power to evoke emotion and enrich narrative.

Tracklist:

Play, Music!
Songs from Shakespeare’s Plays

1. For I the ballad (All’s Well That Ends Well) 0.21
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
arr. for tenor solo by Ross W. Duffin
Performed by: Brian Kay, tenor

2. Ah Robin (Twelfth Night) 3.48
Music: attrib. King Henry VIII (1491–1547) | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenors and bass by Brian Kay
Performed by: Damian Wilson and Brian Kay, tenors | Peter Walker, bass

3. Woodycock 1.58
Music: Anon
arr. for viola da gamba and ensemble by Robert Eisenstein and Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Robert Eisenstein, viola da gamba

4. My lord chamberlain, his galliard 0.44
Music: John Dowland (c. 1563–1626)
Performed by: Brian Kay, lutes

5. Please one and please all / Tarleton’s Jig (Twelfth Night) 4.35
Music: Richard Tarleton (d. 1588) and John Dowland | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor, soprano and ensemble by Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director, tenor | Ashlee Foreman, soprano

6. Pastime with good company (Henry VIII) 2.59
Music: attr. Henry VIII | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano and tenor and ensemble by Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director, tenor | Ashlee Foreman, soprano

7. Green grow’th the holly (Henry VIII) 2.34
Music: attr. Henry VIII | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano and ensemble by Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Ashlee Foreman, soprano

8. Lady Carey’s dance 3.55
Music: Anon
arr. for hammered dulcimer by Tina Bergmann
Performed by: Tina Bergmann, hammered dulcimer

9. I cannot come ev’ry day to woo (Taming of the Shrew) 3.14
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for ensemble, tenor and soprano by R.W. Duffin, Joseph Trapanese, Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Damian Wilson, tenor | Ashlee Foreman, soprano

10. The King of Denmark’s galliard (Hamlet) 2.57
Music: John Dowland | Text: William Shakespeare
Performed by: Brian Kay, lute

11. Bonny sweet Robin (Hamlet) 2.32
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano and harp by Anna O’Connell
Performed by: Anna O’Connell, soprano, harp

12. Why let the strucken deer go weep (Hamlet) 1.19
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor solo by R.W. Duffin, Brian Kay
Performed by Damian Wilson, tenor

13. And will he not come again / Go from my window (Hamlet) 0.50
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano solo by R.W. Duffin, Brian Kay
Performed by: Anna O’Connell, soprano

14. Tarleton’s riserrectione (Hamlet) 1.09
Music: John Dowland | Text: William Shakespeare
Performed by: Brian Kay, lute

15. Lighte of love (Two Gentlemen of Verona) 0.31
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
Performed by: Brian Kay, lute

16. Sigh no more ladies / Lilliburleo (Much Ado About Nothing) 1.44
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for ensemble and bass by Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Peter Walker, bass

17. Jig divided twelve ways 2.27
John Playford (1623–c.1687) | arr. for solo violin by Tina Chancey
Performed by: Tina Chancey, Renaissance violin

18. Blow, blou thou winter wind / Goddesses (As You Like It) 2.27
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor, renaissance violin and ensemble by R.W. Duffin and Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director, tenor | Tina Chancey, Renaissance violin

19. Chi passa (Two Noble Kinsmen) 1.37
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for colascione and ensemble by Ryan Tyndall and Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Ryan Tyndall, colascione

20. Orsino’s request (Twelfth Night) 0.39
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
Performed by: Brian Kay, reading and lute

21. Come away death (Twelfth Night) 3.46
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor and lute by R.W. Duffin and Brian Kay
Performed by: Brian Kay, tenor and lute

22. O mistress mine (Twelfth Night) 1.27
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare and Thomas Morley (c.1557–1602)
arr. for ensemble, cittern, lute and treble viol by Mark Cudek, Ronn McFarlane, and Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director | Mark Cudek, cittern | Ronn McFarlane, lute | Jeffrey Grabelle, treble viol

23. If music be the food of love (Twelfth Night) 0.39
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
Performed by: Brian Kay | Brian Kay, director, reading, and lute

24. Fortune, my foe (Merry Wives of Windsor) 3.23
Music: John Dowland | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for bass and lute by Brian Kay
Performed by: Peter Walker, bass | Brian Kay, lute

25. Where should this music be? / La rossignol (tempest) 1.07
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for voice and lutes by Brian Kay
Performed by: Damian Wilson, reading | Brandon Acker, lute | Brian Kay, lute

26. O death, rock me asleep (Henry IV) 3.43
Music: Attr. Anne Boleyn (c. 1501–1536) | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor and lute by Brian Kay
Performed by: Brian Kay, tenor, lute

27. My lord Willoughby’s welcome home (As You Like It) 1.39
Music: John Dowland
Performed by: Brandon Acker and Brian Kay, lutes

28. Walsingham (Hamlet) 1.20
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano and harp by Anna O’Connell
Performed by: Anna O’Connell, soprano and harp

29. Pardon goddess of the night / Rest awhile, you cruel cares (Much Ado About Nothing) 1.59
Music: John Dowland | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for soprano and viol consort by Brian Kay
Performed by: Ashlee Foreman, soprano | Tina Chancey, viol consort

30. Mrs. White’s nothing 0.47
Music: John Dowland
Performed by: Brian Kay, lute

31. Willow song (Othello) 2.58
Music: Anon | text: William Shakespeare
arr. for tenor and lute by Brian Kay
Performed by: Damian Wilson, tenor | Brian Kay, lute

32. Wedding is great Juno’s crown / Lord Strang’s march (As You Like It) 2.31
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for ensemble, tenor, lute and percussion by Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director, tenor, lute and percussion

33. You spotted snakes / Robin goodfello (Midsummer Night’s Dream) 3.04
Music: Anon | Text: William Shakespeare
arr. for ensemble, tenor, and voices by R.W. Duffin, Joseph Trapanese, and Brian Kay
Performed by: Theatro | Brian Kay, director, tenor

Total duration: 70.53