JustSheetMusic
Portrait of John Dowland

Composer

John Dowland

1563–1626

412 works in the index

Born
1563
Died
1626
Birthplace
London
Citizenship / historical state
Kingdom of England
Period (estimated from birth year)
Renaissance

Biography

Dowland wrote the finest lute songs in English and made a career out of melancholy, which he seems to have found both genuine and marketable.

The songs — Flow My Tears, Come Again, In Darkness Let Me Dwell — were published in a form that lets them be sung as a solo with lute or as a four-part consort, printed so the singers could sit around one table and read from different sides of the page. Modern editions usually give voice with either lute tablature or a keyboard realisation.

For guitarists, the lute solos transfer well and are among the most rewarding early music available, though the tuning differs from the guitar and editions handle that in different ways: some transpose, some retune the third string. Check which before you start learning.

In this catalogue

Common listed instruments
Guitar, Voice, Piano, Lute, Recorder
Genres represented
Classical, pop, Pop, Jazz
Works with composition dates
5 of 412

These details describe the indexed sheet music, including arrangements.

Catalogue

Works page 1 of 9

Years are composition dates where known. Instruments describe editions in our catalogue and may include arrangements. A dash means the detail is not recorded.

Works and available sheet music details
WorkYear composedCatalogue / opusKey in titleListed instrumentsGenreEditions
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 17: "Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite" — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, Vocal, Choir, TubaClassical 31
The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 2: "Flow My Tears" — —— Piano, Organ, Cello, violin, Voice, Vocal, Choir, Recorder, Lute, Low Voice, Viola, Tenor SaxophoneJazz, Classical 23
Fine Knacks for Ladies — —— Piano, Organ, Guitar, Voice, Choir, Recorder, Lute, Low VoiceClassical, Pop 21
Lachrimae or Seven Teares: Lachrimae Antiquae — —— Piano, Voice, RecorderClassical 13
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 20: "Come, Heavy Sleep" — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 13
It Was A Time (Dowland J) — —— Guitar, VoiceClassical 12
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 5: "Can She Excuse My Wrongs?" — —— Piano, Organ, Guitar, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 13
Lady Hunsdon's Puffe, P. 54 — —— Piano, Guitar, Recorder, LuteClassical, Pop 13
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 4: "If My Complaints Could Passions Move" — —— Piano, Organ, Flute, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 12
The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 19: "Shall I Sue, Shall I Seek for Grace?" — —— Piano, Guitar, Voice, Recorder, LuteClassical 10
Come ye Heavy States of Night — —— Voice, Recorder, LuteClassical 9
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 6: "Now, o now I needs must part" — —— Piano, Organ, Cello, violin, Voice, Recorder, Lute, Low Voice, ViolaClassical 6
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 9: "Go Crystal Tears" — —— Piano, Organ, Cello, violin, Voice, Recorder, Lute, Low Voice, ViolaClassical 6
Then Sit Thee Down (the second part) — —— Voice, LuteClassical 7
Wilson's Wilde (Anon) — —— Guitar, DulcimerClassical 10
Fortune — —— Guitar, LuteClassical 7
Sir John Longston, His Pavan — —— Guitar, LuteClassical 8
Mrs. White's Nothing — —— —Classical 10
Rest Awhile You Cruel Cares — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 9
Disdain Me Still (Dowland J) — —— Guitar, VoiceClassical 6
My Lord Chamberlain — —— —Classical 5
2. Galliard — —— —— 83
(Susanna)-Pavan (Johann Sommer) — —— RecorderClassical 8
Complaint — —— —Classical 6
Den lieben langen Tag — —— MandolinClassical 7
My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home, P. 66a — —— GuitarClassical 5
What If I Never Speed — —— Guitar, Voice, ChoirClassical 10
Sleep, Wayward Thoughts — —— Piano, Organ, Guitar, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 8
Flow not so fast - — —— RecorderClassical 6
Awake,Sweet Love — —— Piano, Guitar, VoiceClassical 6
Now, O Now My Needs Must Part — —— TubaClassical 6
Almain — —— —Classical 5
Nrs. Nichol's Alman — —— —Classical 5
Lachrimæ, or Seaven Teares: Semper Dowland semper Dolens 1604* or beforeIMSLP —— Flute, Oboe, violinClassical 6
The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 3: "Sorrow, Stay" — —— Piano, Organ, Low VoiceClassical 7
The First Booke of Songs or Ayres, No. 18: "His Golden Locks" — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 5
Third Book of Songs: No. 15, Weepe You No More Sad Fountains — —— Guitar, Cello, violin, Voice, Choir, Recorder, Lute, ViolaClassical 5
Orlando Sleepeth, P. 61 — —— Piano, GuitarClassical 7
My Bonnie Lass She Smileth (Thomas Morley Arr. John E. West) — —— ChoirClassical 4
Wilt Thou, Unkind, Thus Reave Me — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 4
Awake, Sweet Love, Thou Art Returned — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 5
Mourn, Day Is with Darkness Fled — —— Piano, Organ, Voice, Lute, Low VoiceClassical 6
Faction that Ever Dwells — —— Voice, LuteClassical 5
Tarleton's Riserrectione — —— RecorderClassical 7
Greensleeves (Francis Cutting) — —— GuitarClassical 4
My Love Hath Vowed (Thomas Campion) — —— GuitarClassical 4
Toy For Two Lutes (Thomas Robinson) — —— GuitarClassical 3
When From My Love (John Bartlet) — —— GuitarClassical 4

Biographical record: Wikidata, matched on name and checked against dates held in the catalogue. The period label is an estimate from birth year. The biography above is our own. Authority record: VIAF 14744124. Portrait: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.