DOWLAND, JOHN


Meaning of DOWLAND, JOHN in English

born 1562/63, Westminster, London, Eng.

died Jan. 21, 1626, London

English composer and lutenist.

Educated at Oxford, he was refused a court position in 1594 and, believing his adoptive Catholicism had been the cause, he left for the continent. There he traveled extensively and took a position at the Danish court. In 1612, when his compositions had made him famous, he was finally appointed lutenist to the English court. He published three collections of songs, including about 90 works for solo lute and some 80 lute songs, including "Come again, sweet love does now endite," " Flow my tears," and "Weep you no more, sad fountains." His Lachrimae is a collection for viol-and-lute ensemble.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.