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For men's voices
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for Ladies – arranged for men's voices
Instrumentation |
Contralto, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Voice |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score |
Key |
D major |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Language |
English |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Duration |
2'30 |
Arrangement in D major of the madrigal Fine Knacks for Ladies. This version can be sung by four men Alto Tenor Baritone and Bass (the second voice can be taken by a second alto and the third voice can be taken by a low tenor if required).
This is the transposition used by the King's Singers, but (to avoid copyright on the performance) you can hear me sing it here in my one-man choir.
The zip file contains versions for AATB and ATTB (this can also be used for ATBarB).
For flute quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for flute quartet
Instrumentation |
Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For clarinet quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for clarinet quartet
Instrumentation |
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For brass quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for brass quartet
Instrumentation |
Trombone tenor, Horn, Trumpet, Tuba |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For recorder quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for recorder quartet
Instrumentation |
Tenor Recorder, Soprano Recorder, Alto Recorder, Bass Recorder |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For wind quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for wind quartet
Instrumentation |
Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Oboe |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For saxophone quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for saxophone quartet
Instrumentation |
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
For string quartet (with variations)
Title by uploader: Fine knacks for ladies (with variations) - for string quartet
Instrumentation |
Violin, Viola, Cello |
Scored for |
Quartet |
Type of score |
Full score, Parts |
Arranger |
David W Solomons |
Publisher |
David W Solomons |
Difficulty |
Medium |
Year of composition |
2019 |
Genre |
Classical/Instrumental |
Instrumental arrangement of John Dowland's famous song (with variations for verses 2 and 3 with various instruments taking the main melody).
The pdf file contains score and parts
The sound sample is an electronic preview
Interpretation
My theory regarding the meaning behind the words of Dowland's "Fine Knacks for Ladies"
The singer is in fact a would-be lover but he puts on the persona of a tinker or pedlar (ie a street trader)
and shows his lady his love as if he were selling her his wares
Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave and new, -
excellent trinkets for ladies (my love is represented by these)
Good pennyworths but money cannot move, - they would actually cost quite a lot
but I know that money cannot buy you love (hey the Beatles pinched that one!)
I keep a fair but for the fair to view,
I have a stall in a market (or fair)
but my goods (ie love) are only for the beautiful (fair) to see
A beggar may be liberal of love.
I may be a beggar but I can give my love away free!
Though all my wares be trash, the heart is true.
These tinker's trinkets are rubbish but my love is loyal
Great gifts are guiles and look for gifts again,
You may get expensive gifts from richer suitors,
but such generosity only gives rise to greed
My trifles come as treasures from my mind,
accept my trinkets, they are precious and
their value is purely spiritual love
It is a precious jewel to be plain,
The jewels of others are mere tawdriness,
my jewels are plain but all the more valuable because they come from true love
Sometimes in shell the Orient's pearls we find.
Effectively the same meaning as previous line
(referring to the roughness of the oyster's shell and the beautiful pearl within!
Of others take a sheaf, of me a grain.
You may get riches from other suitors, but what you'll get
from me is not much materially (but lots in love)
Within this pack pins, points, laces and gloves,
And diverse toys fitting a country fair,
back to the tinker motif...
(and by the way, be sure to sing the first line staccato in this verse!)
But in my heart, where duty serves and loves,
Turtles and twins, Court's brood, a heav'nly pair.
Now this is the most difficult couplet because I don't recall who the courtly twins were:
some people at the court of queen Elizabeth I, I expect,
or possibly someone at court was born under the sign of Gemini and is being referred to slyly in the song?.
Turtles are of course turtledoves, which represent love because they coo so much!
Happy the man that thinks of no removes.
Similar to Voltaire's "cultivons notre jardin" -
let us be happy where we are and not concern ourselves with going to,
and winning favour at, the Royal Court.
Instrumentation |
Classical guitar |
Type of score |
Tablature |
Arranger |
Sting, Edin Karamazov |
Genre |
Classical |
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