20110902

Composer John Dowland (Galliard)

An article on Dowland (1563-1626) can be found here at Wikipedia.  Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, singer and lutenist. On the album, Akkerman performs three Dowland tracks, one with orchestra and rhythm section and two on solo lute:

1 Britannia (with orchestra) [better known as Fantasia No 7]
3 The Earl of Derby his Galliard [ie the fifth earl, Ferdinando Stanley c 1559-1594]
6 A Galliard [ie the Earl of Essex's, [ie the second earl, Robert Devereux 1565-1601]

Galliard
(Wikipedia) The galliard (gaillarde, in French; gagliarda in Italian) was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, among others.
Musical compositions in the galliard form appear to have been written and performed long after the dance fell out of popular use. In musical compositions, the galliard often filled the role of an after dance written in 6, which followed and mimicked another piece (sometimes a pavane) written in 4. The distinctive 6 beats to the phrase can still be heard today in songs such as "God Save the Queen".