Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, they recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album in that style.
In 1998, Peterson and his team Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists - previously acclaimed session and choir singers - were then hired to record the tracks.
Each Gregorian album is initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson's Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the "cold and technical" studio atmosphere.
The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album with a live DVD, was released. A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on 31 March 2006. In 2006, a festive album was also released, titled Christmas Chants. A sixth Masters of Chant album was released on 28 September 2007. In 2009 a seventh Masters of Chant album followed.
Gregorian in 2009
On 8 September 2010 the next album, titled The Dark Side of Chant, was announced to be published on 15 October 2010.
The members of the Gregorian choir group are Richard Naxton (Naxos), Johnny Clucas (Johnny), Chris Tickner (Chris T.), Richard Collier (Rich), Gerry O'Beirne (Gerry), Lawrence White (Lorro) and Rob Fardell (Rob F.).
Others who contribute to the vocals or sound of Gregorian are Sarah Brightman (under the pseudonyms Hepsibah or Sarah Hellmann), Amelia Brightman (Sarah Brightman's younger sister), Frank Peterson, and staff of Nemo Studio among others.
Greensleeves
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Well, I will pray to God on high
That thou my constancy mayst see
And that yet once before I die
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu
To God I pray to prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true
Come once again and love me
Come once again and love me
And love me
The song "Greensleeves" is a melancholy ballad that speaks about lost love and a longing to be reunited with an unresponsive lover. The singer of the song is lamenting the loss of his beloved who has cast him off discourteously. Despite being hurt, the singer reminisces about their past time together and how much he enjoyed her company. The main refrain, "Greensleeves was all my joy" emphasizes the significance of the beloved in the singer's life.
The singer hopes that the unresponsive lover will realize the constancy of his love and give him another chance. The line "Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me" expresses his wish that his love is reciprocated, and they can be together again. Even in the last stanza of the song, the singer, while bidding farewell, hopes that his lover will return to him and profess her love just one more time.
In summary, "Greensleeves" is a song that laments lost love but speaks of constancy and the hope for a reunion with the beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
Unfortunately, my love, you are treating me unfairly
To cast me off discourteously
By rejecting me abruptly and rudely
And I have loved you oh so long
I have been deeply in love with you for a very long time
Delighting in your company
Enjoying spending time with you and being in your presence
Greensleeves was all my joy
The source of all my happiness was Greensleeves
Greensleeves was my delight
I found great pleasure and enjoyment in Greensleeves
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
Greensleeves was the most valuable and precious thing to me
And who but my lady greensleeves
No one but my beloved Lady Greensleeves could bring me such joy and happiness
Well, I will pray to God on high
I will plead with God, who is up above,
That thou my constancy mayst see
To show you how devoted I am to you,
And that yet once before I die
And to ask that you give me one more chance to be with you before I die
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me
You will be kind enough to love me in return
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu
Goodbye, Greensleeves, farewell
To God I pray to prosper thee
I pray to God that you may be successful and prosperous
For I am still thy lover true
Because I am still your devoted and loyal lover
Come once again and love me
Please, come back to me and love me once again
Come once again and love me
Come back to me and love me
Writer(s): Traditional, Craig Leon, Isobel Cooper
Contributed by James R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jerry haydel
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Well, I will pray to God on high
That thou my constancy mayst see
And that yet once before I die
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu
To God I pray to prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true
Come once again and love me
Come once again and love me
And love me
Lorin Kach
Greensleeves (оригинал Folk Songs)
Зелёные рукава* (перевод Julie P)
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
Любовь моя, я ль заслужил
To cast me off discourteously
Отвергнутым быть грубо?
And I have loved you for so long
Я так давно тебя любил,
Delighting in your company
С тобой мне всё было любо
[Chorus:]
[Припев:]
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Зеленые рукава,
Greensleeves was my delight,
Мне радость, веселье вы,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
Вы – сердце из золота,
And who but lady Greensleeves
Рукавчики цвета травы
I have been ready at your hand
Всегда подле тебя одной,
To grant whatever you would crave,
Исполнить прихоти был рад,
And I have both waged life and land
Платил и жизнью, и землей,
Your love and good will for to have
Чтоб знать с тобой любовь и лад
[Chorus]
[Припев]
Thou couldst desire no earthly thing
Довольно было лишь пожелать –
But still thou hast it readily,
И было всё к ногам твоим,
Thy music for to play and sing
Тебе мог петь я и играть,
And yet thou would not love me
Но недостоин был любви
[Chorus]
[Припев]
I would, my love, entreat you still
Любовь моя, что верен я,
That thou my constancy may see,
Пойми, молю я вновь и вновь,
For I remain thy lover true,
Как прежде я люблю тебя,
Come once again and love me
Приди и подари любовь
[Chorus]
[Припев]
Источник: https://www.amalgama-lab.com/songs/f/folk_songs/greensleeves.html
© Лингво-лаборатория «Амальгама»: www.amalgama-lab.com/.
jerry haydel
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Well, I will pray to God on high
That thou my constancy mayst see
And that yet once before I die
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady greensleeves
Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu
To God I pray to prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true
Come once again and love me
Come once again and love me
And love me
Lady Nyah
Omg how I love this song, so good well made with a lot of emotion
Raquel Spinelli
Richard Collier, a wonderful voice!
Luis Puertas Jinesta
Bellísima interpretación
wenn
Belíssima muito bom👏👏👍
Bene de Sousa
Lindo o D+
Roger Temple
"I've always loved this song,and I like Gregorian's version,I prefer the Christmas concert where Richard Collier sang it,I don't know who sang it here on this recording though,but it is a wonderful song,and I am a Gregorian fan,I've been listening to them and watching their videos on you tube,for about nine years now,Gregorian are the best,I know they recently did their final tour,but I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of them,thanks."-😎.
Silvia Aurora Plascencia Iñiguez
HERMOSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Lorin Kach
Greensleeves (оригинал Folk Songs)
Зелёные рукава* (перевод Julie P)
Alas, my love, you do me wrong
Любовь моя, я ль заслужил
To cast me off discourteously
Отвергнутым быть грубо?
And I have loved you for so long
Я так давно тебя любил,
Delighting in your company
С тобой мне всё было любо
[Chorus:]
[Припев:]
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Зеленые рукава,
Greensleeves was my delight,
Мне радость, веселье вы,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
Вы – сердце из золота,
And who but lady Greensleeves
Рукавчики цвета травы
I have been ready at your hand
Всегда подле тебя одной,
To grant whatever you would crave,
Исполнить прихоти был рад,
And I have both waged life and land
Платил и жизнью, и землей,
Your love and good will for to have
Чтоб знать с тобой любовь и лад
[Chorus]
[Припев]
Thou couldst desire no earthly thing
Довольно было лишь пожелать –
But still thou hast it readily,
И было всё к ногам твоим,
Thy music for to play and sing
Тебе мог петь я и играть,
And yet thou would not love me
Но недостоин был любви
[Chorus]
[Припев]
I would, my love, entreat you still
Любовь моя, что верен я,
That thou my constancy may see,
Пойми, молю я вновь и вновь,
For I remain thy lover true,
Как прежде я люблю тебя,
Come once again and love me
Приди и подари любовь
[Chorus]
[Припев]
Источник: https://www.amalgama-lab.com/songs/f/folk_songs/greensleeves.html
© Лингво-лаборатория «Амальгама»: www.amalgama-lab.com/.
Star Yayis Macleod
AWESOME !