The Right Honourable Robert, Earle of Essex, his Galliard

This piece by John Dowland is based on a song he had written which became quite popular in England during the Elizabethan era, “Can she excuse my wrongs.“ The text of the song comes from a poem by Robert Devereaux, the second Earle of Essex, hence the name of the piece. Here I am playing a guitar, but the piece was originally written for lute. In order to compensate for differences between the two instruments, I have tuned the third string down to an F# and placed a capo on the second fret.