King Henry VIII has come into fashion here just lately, first with Kate Shrewsday and followed up by NR Hatch. The posts reminded me of one of my favourite songs/melodies, Greensleeves, and the irrational disappointment I felt when various experts debunked the idea that Henry wrote it. Why I wanted him to, I know not. He was brilliant in many ways, but a despicable character nonetheless. Anyway, the main argument was that it follows an Italian style which only came to England after Henry’s death.
It appears, however, that there is convincing evidence that he did, in fact, compose it: a document in his hand, signed by him, setting it out. Expert analysis has confirmed this, as well as the fact that it was penned left-handed, which in those days only the king was able to do without risking being bumped off very promptly. Sinister people were regarded as children of Satan. That blows the arguments of those who deny it completely out of the water.
Henry certainly had the ability. He was a musician of note – lots of notes, actually – as evidenced by his many undisputed compositions like the Kynges Balade – Pastime with Good Company, and Grene Growith the Holy. He is reputed to have owned 78 flutes, 76 recorders, 14 trumpets, 10 trombones, and 5 bagpipes. Even at his most girthsome I doubt if he played all of them at once, though.
The wistful effect of Greensleeves is typical of the Dorian mode. This is not a true minor key, but can be played all on all white notes on the piano from A: ABCDEFG, where one has (T=Tone; S=Semitone) TSTTTST. No actual minor key can avoid black notes. ‘Drunken Sailor’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’ are other examples of this mode. People are conditioned to minor, though, and so there is a tendency in many versions to introduce semitones which actually don’t belong
I enjoy playing Greensleeves on piano, violin, recorder or harmonica and wish I could try it on guitar; but I have never got the hang of that. Whether the style is said to be Italian or not, to me it has a quintessentially English feel. I find it has the same haunting effect as that gem among folk tunes, She Moved Through the Fair.
One of the most famous treatments of the melody is the Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams. It incorporates the lesser-known second melody, and is truly music to stir one’s gentler emotions.
I was going to lower the tone of this post by referring to the Herman’s Hermits comic song, ‘I’m Henery the eighth I am I am’ – but I won’t.
© October 2012 Colonialist (WordPress/Blogs24)
I enjoyed reading this – thanks – the info about the melody and variations especially
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Glad you did – I particularly enjoyed writing that part.
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Wow Col, it seems you have taught many of us things we never knew about Henry, fascinating stuff :0
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Nice post Mr. N. Interesting read.I love history stuff.
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Glad you enjoyed it – still bewildered to find you all missing-like.
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I’m so glad that you restrained yourself, Col. 😆 Now, I’ve got that blessed song going round in my head for the rest of the evening. Thanks so much. 🙂
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EVERY ONE WAS AN ‘ENERY (*Echoes* ‘ENERY!)
SHE WOULDN’T HAVE A WILLIE OR A SAM (*No Willie?*)
I’M THE EIGHTH OLD MAN, I’M ‘ENERY (*ENERY*)
‘ENERY THE EIGHTH I AM!
I had to have six pints to sing that authentically for you, Col.
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That is pretty darn cool! I love that little tune…
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Excellent, Col. The melody flowed from note to note with nary a misstruck chord.
Mayhaps Will Somers’ greene jacket (above) inspired Henry to pen the tune . . . GreenSleeves? 😉
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off to investigate the song – okay so I don’t know the name – oops.
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Well, I know the tune.
And that’s about it.
You’ve enlightened me 😉
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As long as you like the enlightenment!
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Col this is one of the most interesting posts I have read for awhile. Thank you for sharing these unknown facts about Henry VIII.
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Glad you enjoyed the information!
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I’d never heard this info before. Interesting, Now I’ll think of this each time I hear the song this Christmas season.
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Yes, I wonder how it came to be on the standard list for Christmas? No real logic in it.
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And on a different note – Henry remains in the news as Hillary Mantell won the Booker prize
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Indeed; another Henry highlight, although her focus is more on Thomas Cromwell in the (to be) trilogy.
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I just love Greensleeves too!
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It has been on the hit parade for an impressive time!
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Forever and a day 😉
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He sure didn’t have the reputation of writing music… Thanks for the interesting read
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His reputation for making people lose their heads certainly outweighed his musical one!
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An interesting read. I would never have thought he was a musician – he is known only for having many wives!
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A multi-faceted character indeed. It seems, though, that the bad qualities by far outweighed the good ones.
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I never knew that Henry the VIII supposedly had anything to do with Greensleeves – I love that melody as well – now I hope he did write it.
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It seems pretty conclusive that he actually did.
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