Greensleeves, Francis Cutting c.1563-1626

Francis Cutting (c.1550–1596) was an English musician and composer for the lute.

Cutting was employed as a musician for the Howard family which included Thomas Howard, Grand Father of Anne Boleyn and Catharine Howard. Little is known of his early life, but he had ten children with his wife, Elizabeth.

Francis Cutting is among the earliest of the English lute composers and several of his forty surviving works appear in William Barley's 'A New Booke of Tabliture' (1596); notable compositions include; "Sir Walter Raleigh's Galliard,"  "Mrs Anne Markham's Pavan and Galliard." as well as a variation of Greensleeves which he called "Divisions on Greensleeves"

My transcription of Greensleeves by Francis Cutting is available as a Notation, TAB or Soundslice edition, all with right and left hand finger guides. Copies and access code for the Soundslice page are available here: