The anonymous song ⏵︎ “Art thou that she” is preserved in three early-seventeenth-century manuscript settings. British Library, Add. MS 24665 transmits a relatively simple version, while British Library, Egerton MS 2971 and Oxford, Christ Church, Mus. 439 preserve written-out vocal embellishments. The Christ Church version also includes a chordal accompaniment, apparently intended for lyra viol.
British Library, Add. MS 24665, f. 52v.
British Library, Add. MS 24665, usually known as “Giles Earle’s Book,” is a collection of songs compiled c. 1615–26. It presents treble and bass parts on facing pages rather than in score. The manuscript does not name composers; concordances associate its contents with works by John Dowland, Thomas Campion, Thomas Morley, Daniel Batchelar, and others. Many songs are adaptations of part-songs embellished with fioriture for solo voice.
British Library, Egerton MS 2971, f. 9v.
British Library, Egerton MS 2971 is an early seventeenth-century collection of English and Italian songs with accompaniments in score for harpsichord or, apparently, bass viol. Oxford, Christ Church, Mus. 439 contains ayres, masque songs, songs from choirboy plays, bass accompaniments, and music for lyra viol. Both manuscripts preserve “Art thou that she” with written-out vocal embellishments.
Oxford, Christ Church, Mus. 439, p. 36.
In the following comparative edition, I present the three settings of “Art thou that she.” The bass lines are notably similar, with only minor rhythmic differences. Egerton MS 2971 doubles the whole-note D in both measure 9 and the penultimate measure to accommodate the diminutions. Where corrections were necessary, small notes above the staff reproduce the source readings; editorial accidentals are enclosed in brackets.
The song text is anonymous in all three manuscripts. Egerton MS 2971 includes four stanzas, Mus. 439 two, and Add. MS 24665 only the first.
The Christ Church catalogue tentatively attributes the setting to Thomas Campion, but the attribution remains uncertain.
A set of performing editions of the three versions is available for purchase in our online shop.
References
British Library. Add MS 24665: A Collection of Songs, and One Unaccompanied Duet, Collected by Giles Earle.
British Library. Egerton MS 2971: Collection of English and Italian Songs, Etc.
Christ Church Library. Mus. 439.
Jorgens, E. B. (Ed.). (1986). English Song 1600–1675: Facsimiles of Twenty-Six Manuscripts and an Edition of the Texts. Garland Publishing.
