What If A Day (John Dowland) Daniel Estrem, renaissance lute

Daniel Estrem playing "What If A Day" by John Dowland (1563-1626) on renaissance lute

[christopherwilson]

Sitting in Cedar Point with you and the loons as a soundtrack is definitely a Day. Thank you.

[heinznachbaur]

Sehr schön gespielt! Bravo! Heinz Fromm Austria

[cjr]

Good Afternoon Daniel,
Thank you for this wonderful piece. It was just what I needed to calm down with. Yep, I am still digging and delving in the heat fixing the drainage on the drive so if that makes your back ache at the very thought of of it please spare a bit of compassion for my aching bones. Mid 30c here still and the water situation is pretty bad in the UK. Our part of Kent is like a tinderbox and I was pleased that the farmer finally harvested the field next to our house. Still, I don't mind heat and humidity so I just work through it. Stiff upper lip and all that!
Dowland is truly a master of composition and I am always slightly in awe of the fact that this music sounds so fresh even to our modern ears. The piece of associated poetry that oxoSLFoxo posted is interesting too. One must remember that in the late 1600s we in the UK experienced what became known as the "great vowel shift" which goes some way to explain why the rhymes and rhythms of old English poetry do not appear to scan to our modern way of speaking. My own surname was a subject of this vowel shift as the old pronunciation of the "ea" part of my surname would now be written as an "ay" to get the same sound. You guys over the pond had your government sort out and conventionalise spellings. Benjamin Franklin I think had something to do with it. Hence your use of "color" and neighbor" and not our "colour" and "neighbour". I find it all fascinating!
Still using up the prophylactics on your Ring finger I see. It accentuates the fact that it seems to be the least used digit. I will have to study your guitar work and see if there is a difference between the Lute and the guitar.
I hope that the humidity is letting up over then in Twin City.
Meanwhile Keep Safe and Keep Playing
Clive

[heinznachbaur]

Sehr schön und musikalisch gespielt! Bravo, Liebe Grüße from Austria

[franco.r]

I learned this piece the other day on my classical guitar and it sounds good although now I'm working on the frog galliard, I really like how you play keep it up ✌️

[ludwigvannormayenn]

This sounds so nice on a renaissance lute. Well done :)

[waldomirooliveira]

Beautiful sound of this instrument. So kind, so sweet! Thank you.

[ЧунгаЧанга-мю]

The lute is the best side of your musical talent!!!
This is another super masterpiece!
Thanks a lot

[StopFear]

Yea, this is so much better than what a 6 string guitar can do. One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite baroque composers.

[Syllogyzym]

As wonderful as ever. Thanks as always for giving this to us.

[h.wagner]

A beautiful performance. The thing that struck me was the opening notes of the piece contain a melodic "echo" of a theme in "Maria Durch Ein Dornwald Ging", also from that period. And which is used in "Mary In The Thorns", which I play on a very different stringed instrument. (and which is posted on my own channel).

[oxoelfoxo]

I found the title intriguing and thought to look up the song. I need a modern English translation or maybe a poetry interpretation, lol. But here it is if you're curious, too.

What if a day, or a month, or a yeare
Crown thy delights with a thousand sweet contentings?
Cannot a chance of a night or an howre
Crosse thy desires with as many sad tormentings?
Fortune, honor, beauty, youth
Are but blossoms dying;
Wanton pleasure, doating love
Are but shadowes flying
All our joyes are but toyes
Idle thoughts deceiving;
None have power of an howre
In their lives bereaving

Earthes but a point to the world, and a man
Is but a point to the worlds compared centure:
Shall then a point of a point be so vaine
As to triumph in a seely points adventure?
All is hassard that we have
There is nothing biding;
Dayes of pleasure are like streames
Through faire meadowes gliding
Weale and woe, time doth goe
Time is ever turning:
Secret fates guide our states
Both in mirth and mourning

seely: Archaic. insignificant or feeble; poor. happy; auspicious. good; pious; blessed. foolish; simple-minded <-- what opposite meanings from dict . com