Come Heavy Sleep (Dowland 1597
This is the last of 3 Iohn Dowland songs, that I recorded on July 29, 2005, to be posted on SoundClick.
Elisha Zaporelostzi's first performances were the Open Stages put on by the Bytown Live in Ottawa Ontario, Canada. It is how Neil Young and Joni Mitchell started.
Phreap magazine is a one page thing that went around Ottawa in the 1980s. Now it is a web site;
http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/patchan
With the help of Joe-Charly Smith, Molly Ding, Calhoon-Fred Febealie, and Butter Jones I was able to put out Phreap magazine.
Story behind the song
This song comes from John Dowland's The First Booke of Songs or Ayres which was first published in 1597. This song, 'Come Heavy Sleep', is certainly one of the greatest songs of the English language. I may not play it very well but I feel my version shows some of the dynamics that make the song great. These dynamics are not always present in some of the more professionally done, technically perfect, versions of the song.
This is the last of 3 Iohn Dowland songs, to be posted on SoundClick, that I recorded on July 29, 2005. These recordings were done live with me singing and playing the guitar at the same time and it is given the this is a big challenge with John Dowland songs. On this one I added another vocal track.
These song, with there imperfections, give the more honest take on my limited ability at guitar, which you would get, if you were to come round for a live listen.
To hear midis, of many of the English lutenist, go to Harald Lillmeyer's site at;
www.harald-lillmeyer.kulturserver.de
Lyrics
Come heauy sleepe the image of true death,
And close vp these my weary weeping eies :
Whose spring of tears doth stop my vitall breath,
And tears my hart with sorrows sigh swoln cries :
Come and posses my tired thoughts worne soule,
That liuing dies till thou on me be stoule.
Come shadow of my end, and shape of rest,
Allied to death, child to his blackefac't night :
Come thou and charme these rebels in my breast,
Whose waking fancies doe my mind affright.
O come sweet sleepe, come, or I die for euer :
Come ere my last sleepe comes, or come neuer.
Thanks for that!!! I don't usually use the word "genius" and I'm not about to use it now...You know what, I've changed my mind. Your a genius!!!! :)