Songs with Theorbo (ca. 1650–1663)

The two manuscripts Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Broxbourne 84.9 and London, Lambeth Palace Library MS 1041 contain forty-four songs, mostly with theorbo or lute accompaniment; twenty-nine songs are in English, seven are in French, and eight are in Italian. The English composers of these songs include Henry and William Lawes, Nicholas Lanier, and Charles Colman. Three French songs can be identified as the work of François de Chancy, Michel Lambert, and Jean de Cambefort. Seven of the English songs (by Locke Goodgroome, Marsh, Edward Colman, Henry Lawes, and an anonymous source) are in a later section of the Lambeth Palace Manuscripts (ca. 1665–1670) and are with a thorough-bass accompaniment. Many songs are embellished with written-out ornamentation. Because several songs were transcribed by Charles Colman, a professional singer and theorbo player, the manuscripts preserve evidence of period vocal performance and theorbo continuo style. As a member of the King's Music, Colman was acquainted with the composers whose songs are in the manuscripts. Some of the songs are unique to these manuscripts or are in unique variant versions.