Greensleeves - traditional English song video free download

Handsome, gifted and recently married to Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII was the envy of Europe when he penned 35 royal compositions in the early years of his long and turbulent reign. (Thirty-five Compositions Ref: E1801 The complete secular works of King Henry VIII consisting of partsongs and instrumental consorts. Publisher Stainer & Bell)

Truly a Renaissance prince, he was also a gifted composer who excelled in portraying the pleasures of courtly life through words and music. His daughter, Elizabeth, inherited his gifts, and was a keen dancer and an excellent performer on the virginals.

"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, basically a ground of the form called a romanesca.

A widely-believed (but completely unproven) legend is that it was composed by King Henry VIII of England (1491-1547) for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Anne, the youngest daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, rejected Henry's attempts to seduce her. This rejection is apparently referred to in the song, when the writer's love "cast me off discourteously." It is not known if the legend is true, but the song is still commonly associated with Boleyn in the public mind.

Alas, my love, you do me wrong,

To cast me off discourteously.

For I have loved you well and long,

Delighting in your company.

Greensleeves was all my joy

Greensleeves was my delight,

Greensleeves was my heart of gold,

And who but my lady , Greensleeves.

Your vows you've broken, like my heart,

Oh, why did you so enrapture me?

Now I remain in a world apart

But my heart remains in captivity.

Well I will pray, I will pray to God

that thou my constancy mayst see,

For I am still thy lover true

Oh come once again and love me

Singer : Litsa Skartsatou - soprano - Athens - Greece