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Anne Boleyn: The Musician

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Anne Boleyn: The Musician

March 25, 2011
8:22 am

Chrystinamarie123

United States

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I know Anne was a very accomplished singer and lute player and I read she had some of her own compositions…did any of them survive? Or are there any people think might have been written by her? Thanks 🙂

March 25, 2011
12:12 pm

Sharon

Binghamton, NY

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I found this on Nell Gavin's site. She wrote the book Threads.

Anne was said to have been an impressive musician and songwriter, and some sources suggested her melodies may have borrowed characteristics from Spanish music (Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon, was Spanish, and her court probably lent that influence). Anne played several instruments, including the lute, harp and virginals. She probably also played the recorder, which was very popular during her lifetime. She was renowned for her singing voice as well.

To the best of anyone's knowledge, none of Anne’s songs survive, except for one, “O Death, Rock Me Asleepe”, with music written by her chaplain after her death. However, the source of both the lyrics and the music is in question. It is only known that the poem was found in the Tower immediately after Anne’s death, and that it was later put to music. A CD containing that song can be purchased at http://www.leonarda.com. You can listen to a short clip of this song at O Death Rock Me Asleepe.

I love Spanish music, but Anne writing spanish melodies…I don't know!

March 29, 2011
3:00 am

Nasim

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Chrystinamarie123 said:

I know Anne was a very accomplished singer and lute player and I read she had some of her own compositions…did any of them survive? Or are there any people think might have been written by her? Thanks 🙂

Eric Ives’s provides a good discussion of Anne’s love of music in his study, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn (particularly the chapter on life at court).

Though we know Anne could play several instruments, and was skilled in this, we are unsure whether any of her compositions survive (if, indeed she ever did compose music – I doubt she did). There is no contemporary evidence linking Anne to the poem/song, ‘O Death Rock Me Asleep’, and Eric Ives provides an excellent discussion why it is not by Anne in this clip: