Your Recorder Community

Shakespeare sometimes provides the words to incidental songs in his plays, and other times simply writes “Song” and you are expected to provide one. It is known that Shakespeare’s contemporary William Byrd composed some of the music. In this new set, the composer has taken three songs whose words are provided — the first from “Cymbeline” Act 2 scene 3, the second from “Measure for Measure” Act 4 scene 1, and the third from “As You Like It”, Act 2 scene 5 — and set them to new music for countertenor with recorder accompaniment. There are two versions of the music available – one has the vocal line set in the alto clef for true countertenors, and the other has it in treble clef for light tenors. The accompaniment is easy for intermediate players, though the third song “Under the Greenwood Tree” uses low E-flat frequently in scale runs. The composer hopes these are performed with a singer, rather than as an instrumental duet.