I composed the song “Nottinghill Coill” in 2011, as a dedication to Their Excellencies Geldamar and Etain, the Baronage of Nottinghill Coill at that time. The purpose of the composition was to provide a somewhat patriotic place-song for the Barony of Nottinghill Coill, with reference to both the geography and people of that fine Barony.  Nottinghill Coill is a contrafactum, based on the traditional Irish melody "Slane."  The original composition consisted of only the melody and guitar chord accompaniment.  Before Geldamar and Etain stepped down as Baronage in 2013, I decided to revisit the piece, and create a more period authentic arrangement of the piece.  My interest in period instrumental compositions for lute, vihuela, four-course and five-course guitar had by then piqued my curiosity for composing in a period style.  By that time, I had transcribed a number of pieces for those instruments from facsimiles of the originals and had developed a more sophisticated “feel” for the late period music of the fretted stringed instruments, and for late period compositional styles, than I had when I drafted the original version of Nottinghill Coill in 2011. So, I revised my original accompaniment for the song, to create a more authentic lutesong style accompaniment, influenced by the lutesongs of John Dowland.  I collaborated with my Lady, Helena Isabelle de Soleure, to present this piece with lute accompaniment to Their Excelencies as they stepped down as Baronage.  See below for the lutesong arrangement of the piece, with the lute part in French tablature, as was done in period by the French and English lute composers (e.g. John Dowland).  The original guitar chord arrangement is also presented below.  This was a fun project, involving collaboration with other arts disciplines to create a gift for some of our good friends.  It occurs to me that not everybody is as excited as I am about lutesongs and guitar compositions... but that has yet to stop me from gifting them!  :)