One of the most enjoyable aspects of music making is playing with other musicians in an ensemble. Ensembles are a team effort and require musical and social cooperation between players. If you're enrolled in a Distance Education section of guitar, this chapter will not be assigned due to the challenges of rehearsing through video conferencing software.
Leeward Coast Guitars | Rehearsal in the Leeward Theatre
May Musings
Now Is The Month Of Maying, by Thomas Morley (1557-1602), was composed during the late Renaissance, the time of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. Over four-hundred years later it is still sung during May Day celebrations.
Second booke of songs or ayres | John Dowland (1563-1626) | Music for performers sitting at a table. Tablature was written in letters rather than numbers!
Secular music of the late Renaissance was chiefly played at home by family and friends as entertainment. Amateur musicians sat at a small table, socializing, eating, drinking and making music together. Scores were printed with music facing out in three or four directions to facilitate music reading from a single book.
The Concert | Gerard van Honthorst (1590-1656) | Home music making was an important part of socializing during the Renaissance. | National Gallery of Art
The lyrics of Now Is The Month Of Maying appear to be about dancing, but no doubt are a metaphor for making whoopie on the lawn. Bawdy double meanings were typical of Elizabethan era songs.
Here are the lyrics for the first verse:
Now is the month of maying,
When merry lads are playing,
Fa la la la la la la la la,
Fa la la la la la la la.
Each with his bonny lass
Upon the greeny grass.
Fa la la la la la la la la,
Fa la la la la la la la.
Study Tips
Now Is The Month Of Maying is a trio, a piece with three separate guitar parts: guitar 1 (melody), guitar 2 (harmony) and guitar 3 (bass). Your instructor will assign parts. The goal of part assignment is to create a balance between guitar 1, guitar 2 and guitar 3.
The PDF scores for the individual parts are linked at the bottom of this page.
Now Is The Month Of Maying evokes Springtime joy and, thus, should be played at an allegro (cheerful) tempo.
Learn your part before rehearsing in class with your ensemble partners. To get used to the sound of different parts while you play, practice with the audio track.
May Musings
Study Tips
Listen to the Track
