Dowland's "Awake Sweet Love" Nola Richardson and Paul Holmes Morton

[@virtualmike13]

More Dowland please! Love your singing along with the lute.

[@tomohiromori696]

Thank you for the lovely performance! The fact that those old and little songs have been continuously sung by many singers over hundreds of years makes me impressed and shed tears. Although I am depressed by tough situations of the recent worlds, I feel relieved by your beautiful voice and sounds of the lute.

[@thomascooley3259]

I just woke up and this was the first thing I heard! What a lovely way to start my day! Beautiful!

[@NolaSoprano]

😍 Thank you!

[@notlih11]

Awake, sweet love! Thou art return'd, My heart, which long in absence mourn'd, Lives now in perfect joy. Let love, which never absent dies, Now live forever in her eyes, Whence came my first annoy. Only herself hath seemed fair, She only I could love, She only drove me to despair, When she unkind did prove. Despair did make me wish to die, That I my griefs might end, She only which did make me fly, My state may now amend. If she esteem thee, now aught worth, She will not grieve thy love henceforth, Which so despair hath prov'd. Despair hath proved now in me, That love will not inconstant be, Though long in vain I lov'd. If she at last reward thy love, And all thy harm repair, Thy happiness will sweeter prove, Rais'd up from deep despair. And if that now thou welcome be When though with her dost meet, She, all the while, but play'd with thee, To make thy joys more sweet.

[@kedemberger8773]

Such beautiful art! If I had any connections to European 16th-18th century ensembles I'd nudge them immetiately in your direction. So stylish yet so fresh and free of the reservedness of some British artists - you make it sound like 17th century pop music in the best sense of the word. You bring a whole new approach to this rep. I wish you the best career imaginable.

[@symmachus898]

Wonderful.

[@MartinGallegosMusic]

Beautiful rendition!

[@NolaSoprano]

Thank you so much!

[@bruna.marqques]

How lovely, I love your voice and you look like a doll! Wishing success in your career 🥰

[@NolaSoprano]

Thank you so much, Bruna!

[@gilad_performer]

Beautifully done

[@speuippo83]

Lovely!

[@NolaSoprano]

Thank you!!!

[@SignorSprezzatura]

Thankyou Nola for directing to this - it's very lovely! A question though - and it's not a criticism - the lyrics point to a man singing the song. So how do you -as a soprano - go about interpreting it? I'd love to hear you sing "Behold what a wonder here" from the Third Booke of Songs.

[@NolaSoprano]

Good question! I guess I would say that there is a long historical tradition of people with soprano voices (both male and female) singing male roles or songs from a male perspective. Despite the pronouns in the song, I do think it expresses some pretty universal emotions about relationships. So for me, it’s not a large stretch to interpret the feelings portrayed, and I honestly feel like the gender of either party (the singer or the person being sung about) could be entirely flexible. Of course there are songs that are much more overtly masculine in their perspective or language but I think getting into character allows you to be very flexible with the repertoire- as many of the composers and singers of the time were!

[@SignorSprezzatura]

@@NolaSoprano It's especially true of Dowland that his songs do seem to get to the emotional nitty-gritty of relationships. I like his wry self-awareness, which makes his songs hit home so much more than the usual: "her eyes were blue, her hair was gold, she makes me sad" love song. So thanks for your reply - when I get to London I'll be sure to lookout for one of your concerts.