Program Note for class

I wrote this for my Bibliography of Music class, and I thought some here would appreciate it.
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One of the classic folk songs of
the English language, Greensleves is commonly attributed to King Henry VIII.  (1491-1547)

Though he was exceptionally busy establishing his nations
equality among the European nobility, fighting off the rapacious King Phillip
of Spain, and casting off the papal yoke as he established his position at the
crown of English spiritual life, he was still a Renaissance nobleman, required
to develop and consistently display skill at poetry, the dance, and musical
performance and composition.

This song is generally thought to
refer to Anne Bolyn, Henry’s second wife, and the legend goes that it was
written during his attempts to woo her before his divorce from Catherine of
Aragon. The song lyrics show a passionate nature fully in keeping with the
Tudor king’s well documented moods,, but it also carries with it something of a
double meaning, also clearly displaying how he reacted to not getting his way.

The term “Green Sleeves” is a
Renaissance English slang term for a woman of questionable morals – the only
way a woman’s sleeves would become green (as opposed to the hem of her skirt)
was if she spent time rolling in the grass on her back. This little detail
changes the character of the song from a song of a broken heart to a question of,
“Why everyone else, but not me?” and also one of vitriol instead of just
unrequited love.

The tune is a binary form known as
a Romanesque, with verses followed by a repeating chorus. The melody evokes a
haunting quality, clearly demonstrating the sadness in the tune’s lyrics of
unrequited passion and recrimination.