Greensleeves

About This Song

“Greensleeves” is a traditional English folk song and is also known as “My Ladye Greensleeves.” There is no consensus on who composed “Greensleeves.” It has been attributed to Henry VIII, the much-married King of England, with speculation that the lyrics were inspired by Katherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn. A broadside ballad by the name “A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves” was registered by Richard Jones in 1580, and the song is also found in several late-16th-century and early-17th-century sources, such as Ballet’s MS Lute Book and Het Luitboek van Thysius. William Shakespeare mentions this song by name in The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597). “Greensleeves” uses the musical form called a “romanesca” or its slight variant, the “passamezzo antico.” The romanesca originated in Andalusia, Spain, and is composed of a sequence of four chords with a simple, repeating bass, which provides the groundwork for variations and improvisation. This arrangement by Mr. Pasero is a rhythmic variation on a theme, ranging from waltz to motivato. This arrangement is a splendid concert piece with the verse in A minor and the chorus in C major. (The audio for this score uses an instrumental sound sample to demonstrate the arrangement.)