Audio Files and Video Playlists

The following is a collection of audio files in MP3 format and videos that feature the cittern or related wire-strung period instruments. Please note that links are provided if you are interested in purchasing the album from which the mp3 track was taken. Please help support early music artists!

If you are an artist and would like to have a piece featured here, please contact me.

Audio Files

16th / 17th Century Works

3 pieces from Holburns Passion by Jacob Heringman. 

• A Horne pype (cittern). This solo cittern piece from Anthony Holborne's Cittharn Schoole is for a 4 course chromatic cittern.

• Queenes Galliard (cittern with a bass). This piece from Anthony Holborne's Cittharn Schoole features cittern with bass viol, one of several pieces so arranged by Holborne.

• A Ground (bandora). Solo bandora.

4 pieces from The Healing by Rob MacKillop.

All four pieces for diatonic 17th c. cittern come from the Robert Edwards commonplace book. A tablature edition of each by Rob can be found on the Music page.

• Joye to the personne of my love

• Sueit Smyling Katie loues me

• The Isle of Rea

• The Laydie Lothians Lilte

1 piece from Elizium by Mark Wheeler / Pantagruel

Cittern is featured in three tracks on this album. While the album is 11 tracks long, it is conceived of as one continuous track with each small track being comprised of numerous shorter pieces in original arrangements by Pantagruel. This track is a clip from Track 8. 

• The Oil of Barley or Stingo

18th Century Works

1 suite from Twelve Divertimentis for the Guittar by Rob MacKillop

This piece is written for and played on the 18th-century wire-strung 'guittar', sometimes refered to as an 18th-century cittern or an English Guitar. The first tutor for it was published in Edinburgh by Robert Bremner in 1758, and is full of traditional tunes. James Oswald (a Scot abroad in London) published these divertimenti (short pieces full of contrast) in 1759. 

• Divertimento No. X by James Oswald

2 pieces from Pasqualini Demarzi: Six Sonatas for Cetra or Kitara by Doc Rossi

Cittern (Doc Rossi) with continuo on archlute or baroque guitar (Andrea Damiani).

• The Orange Rogue

• The Grazioso

1 piece from La Cetra Galante by Doc Rossi.

This giga is by G. B. Marella. Both parts are played by Doc Rossi.

• Giga

Selections from Cetra Records [external links] 

• Pre-launch drop 1 of 4: 5 solos and duets on 18th century citterns

• Pre-launch drop 2 of 4: 3 works for 18th century cittern by George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Johann Christian Bach.

• Pre-launch drop 3 of 4: 12 Airs for the Guittar by John Parry

• Pre-launch drop 4 of 4: Sonata for Guittar and Violin by J. C. Bach

Video Playlists

Consider subscribing to my YouTube channels: 

• http://www.youtube.com/@citternist

• https://www.youtube.com/@amhstrings