Dowland – Second Book of Airs

This is one of a series of posts about books used as source material for Art Song Central.

Book Title: Second Book of Airs
Author: John Dowland (1563-1626)
Editor: Edmund Fellowes (1870-1951)
Publisher: Stainer & Bell
Copyright: 1922

Google Books has Dowland’s Second Book of Airs, Part 1 and Part 2 available for download.

Contents, Part 1:

  • I saw my lady weep
  • Flow, my tears
  • Sorrow, stay
  • Die not before thy day
  • Mourn! Day is with darkness fled
  • Time’s eldest son, Old Age (first part)
  • Then sit thee down and say (second part)
  • When others sing Venite (third part)
  • Praise blindness, eyes
  • O sweet woods

Contents, Part 2:

  • If floods of tears
  • Fine knacks for ladies
  • Now cease, my wandering eyes
  • Come ye heavy states of night
  • White as lilies was her face
  • Woeful heart
  • A shepherd in a shade
  • Faction that ever dwells
  • Shall I sue?
  • Toss not my soul
  • Clear or cloudy
  • Humour, say what mak’st thou here?

Note: I have posted a few of these songs already, but only the versions in which the lute tabulature was transcribed. I encourage performers to avoid the versions with rewritten accompaniments.