Papagena Press Ayres - Dowland/Hoover - Soprano Sax/Piano

Composer: John Dowland
Arranger: Katherine Hoover
Instrumentation: Soprano saxophone with piano accompaniment
Level: Advanced

Katherine Hoover chose to arrange three Elizabethan lute songs by English Renaissance composer John Dowland for soprano saxophone after she heard the instrument played in a cathedral and was struck by its beautiful vocal quality. From the composer: "I have treated [these songs] in somewhat varying ways; counterpoint in the first, some variations in the second, and rhythmic play in the last, always being informed by the original song and/or words. These songs were commonly called Airs, or 'Ayres,' in the spelling of the time." Songs included are I Can She Excuse My Wrongs, Weep No More Sad Fountains, and Fine Knacks for Ladies.