At the end of Elizabeth Melville’s Ane Godlie dreame (1603) there is a printed text titled ‘A comfortabill song, to the tune of Sall I let her go’. After some convoluted internet searches and library trawling, I found that the tune of ‘Sall I let her go’ indicates Robert Jones’s ‘Farewell, dear love’ found in The First Booke of Songes or Ayres, no. 12 (1600). It is a secular madrigal for four voices, or a solo voice with lute accompaniment. It remains a popular performance choice for choirs to this day.
I recorded two versions of ‘A comfortabill song’, alternatively titled ‘Away vaine warld’. I have included the main performance by the Glasgow University Madrigirls choir as well as an intimate performance with Róise nic an Bheatha which was recorded early in the project’s progress.
Arranged by Roslyn Potter
Conducted by Katy Cooper
Performed by Glasgow University Madrigirls
Sopranos: Catriona Downie, Helen Kingstone, Roslyn Potter
Altos: Alison Eales, Emma Kerr, Leah Meromy, Luke von Lupke
Recorded in the University of Glasgow Chapel, August 2019.
Click here to download the sheet music.
This version of ‘Away vaine warld’ was recorded in the University of Glasgow’s cloisters at around 10.30pm.
Soprano: Róise nic an Bheatha
Alto: Roslyn Potter