Some Minor Notes

‘The God of Love,’ of which a few lines are sung in Much Ado About Nothing, has been improperly attributed to “W E”, meaning William Elderton. I recently discovered that the first full verse is available in a harp songbook, which got the lyric from a manuscript held at Yale University. It is just enough text to confirm the lyric for Oxford. The music has long been available in a lute book compiled c. 1560-85 by Francis Willoughby. His name is featured in an acrostic within Robert Parry’s Sinetes Passions. So, Oxford knew Willoughby, who had the sheet music to one of Oxford’s songs. I have added observations in the W.E. (William Elderton) and Robert Parry chapters. Just search on “Francis Willoughby”.

Phoebe Nir and I recently did an hourlong Q&A on the Songwriter Voices. It is a fun condensation of the case that dozens of Oxford’s songs were published between 1587 and 1603. I will let you know when it’s posted.

More to come!

Robert Prechter
www.oxfordsvoices.com 

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