To Dowland or Not to Dowland

"Every composer has his own musical signature. Trusting the experience that I have gained throughout my thirty-year career as a professional lute player, and as Professor of Lute at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague for the last 15 years, I started to make a selection from all the pieces in the pertinent manuscripts. I let myself be guided by musical intuition, by the essence and beauty of the pieces, and by constantly asking myself the question: do I recognise Dowland's hand in this? The overall quality

of the pieces to choose from was very impressive, and the answer to my question was: yes, I recognise Dowland in these works, without a shadow of a doubt."

Mike Fentross