Thomas Robinson (c 1560 - c 1609) English composer, teacher, and lutenist, flourished during the last two decades of the sixteenth century and the first decade of the seventeenth century. He was responsible for the first wholly English lute tutor, The Schoole of Musicke (London, 1603) which was among the first printed sources of lute music in England. He also published New Citharen Lessons (London, 1609), a book with compositions for the cittern - 47 pieces for four course cittern (including one duet) together with 6 pieces for the 14 course archcittern.
A) From The Schoole of Musicke
Almayne 23 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 05
Bellvedere [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 08
Galliard 6 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 06
Galliard 7 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 05
Galliard 17 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 05
Gigue 22 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 07
Three of Robinson’s five Gigues are in 2/4 rather than 3/8 (or related metres) that are more usually found in the baroque era by which time the gigue was commonly one of the movements in instrumental suites. This gigue is constructed with a figure that repeats with variations in the even strains.
Go From my Window [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 07
Several arrangements of this tune are found in the renaissance lute literature. Go here for Dowland’s version.
Merry Melancholy [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 05
The Queen’s Gigue17 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 06
Another gigue in 2/4 time.
B) From archcittern section of New Citharen Lessons
Fantasia 2 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 07
Robinson’s fantasia for two lutes is quite well-known in transcription for two guitars, but I have not seen (or heard) any arrangements of his four fantasias for archcitteren, two of which I present here.
Fantasia 3 [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 07
Mr. North, his Nowell [PDF] [MIDI] [XML] Robinson Grade 05