Dowland: First Booke of Songesor Ayres Grace Davidson & David Miller

• John Dowland (1563 - 1626): Book of Songs, Book 1:
• 1 Book of Songs, Book 1: Unquiet thoughts 03:24
• 2 Book of Songs, Book 1: Whoever thinks or hopes of love for love 02:31
• 3 Book of Songs, Book 1: My thoughts are winged with hopes 03:24
• 4 Book of Songs, Book 1: If my complaints could passions move 03:21
• 5 Book of Songs, Book 1: Can she excuse my wrongs 02:49
• 6 Book of Songs, Book 1: Now, O Now I Needs Must Part 03:58
• 7 Book of Songs, Book 1: Dear, if you change, I'll never choose again 03:16
• 8 Book of Songs, Book 1: Burst forth, my tears 05:02
• 9 Book of Songs, Book 1: Go, crystal tears 03:19
• 10 Book of Songs, Book 1: Think'st thou then by thy feigning 01:56
• 11 Book of Songs, Book 1: Come away, come sweet love 02:17
• 12 Book of Songs, Book 1: Rest awhile, you cruel cares 03:53
• 13 Book of Songs, Book 1: Sleep wayward thoughts 03:40
• 14 1st Booke of Songes: Book of Songs, Book 1: All ye whom love or fortune hath betrayed 04:10
• 15 Book of Songs, Book 1: Wilt thou unkind thus reave me of my heart 04:07
• 16 Book of Songs, Book 1: Would my conceit that first enforced my woe 05:07
• 17 Book of Songs, Book 1: Come again, sweet love doth now invite 04:35
• 18 Book of Songs, Book 1: His golden locks Time hath to silver turned 03:32
• 19 Book of Songs, Book 1: Awake sweet love, thou art returned 02:20
• 20 Book of Songs, Book 1: Come, heavy sleep 03:42
• 21 Book of Songs, Book 1: Away with these self-loving lads 02:55
• Total Runtime 01:13:18

Info for Dowland: First Booke of Songesor Ayres

Following her debut release of Baroque works by Vivaldi and Handel earlier this year, Grace Davidson returns to Signum with an intimate album of Dowland’s first book of lute songs, accompanied by David Miller. Blending melancholy with wit in his writing for both lute and voice, John Dowland’s songs have continued to enchant audiences and singers for nearly 400 years. The ‘First Booke’ includes some of Dowland’s less well-known works, and was recorded in the sensitive acoustic of Ascot Priory in Berkshire, UK. “Grace Davidson has one of the most beautiful and pure soprano voices on earth.” (Eric Whitacre, composer) “Grace Davidson sings with gorgeous purity and warmth and hits some extraordinarily ethereal high notes.” (Classic FM)

Grace Davidson, sopran
David Miller, lute

Grace Davidson
is a British soprano who specialises first and foremost in the performance and recording of Baroque music.

Grace won the Early Music Prize while studying singing at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Since then, she has worked with leading Baroque ensembles of our day, singing under the batons of Sir John Eliot Gardner. Paul McCreesh, Philippe Herrweghe and Harry Christophers. Her discography includes a decade of CDs with The Sixteen, many of which feature her as soloist – Handel’s Jeptha (as Angel), Dixit Dominus, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Pianto della Madonna, and the Lutheran Masses of Bach.

Next year she will record Acis and Galatea for Harry Christophers with a performance at Wigmore Hall.

The technical mastery that comes with singing Baroque music plus Grace’s musicality and exceptional purity of tone have broadened her career into the worlds of contemporary classical and crossover music. With Max Richter she has recorded Sleep and Woolfworks (for Deutsche Gramophon). She has already performed Sleep all over the world; next year, performances are planned in New Zealand, the USA, Germany and Australia. Next year she will record Memoryhouse, also by Richter.

She has made recordings (on Decca) with the American composer Eric Whitacre, with Christian Forshaw’s Sanctuary Ensemble and with Patrick Hawes on his celebrated album Angel. She is the solo singer on Howard Shore’s live-to-projection concert version of Lord of the Rings.

Booklet for Dowland: First Booke of Songesor Ayres