Greensleeves is certainly the most popular historical melody in England and dates back to the late 16th century. That's why you immediately feel like you've been taken back to the time of Shakespeare and Co. when you hear the nostalgic sounds of the little music box.
For a long time, the scandalous story persisted that the legendary King Henry VIII composed the song for his mistress Anne Boleyn. More likely, but also less spectacular, is that Greensleeves was written by an anonymous composer a little later during the reign of Elizabeth I – the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Hardly any documentary or film about the Elizabethan age is without the well-known melody Greensleeves, which was once played with the lute or harp. Today you can find countless versions with string instruments, but also for piano. The love song has been covered by many performers. And new lyrics have been written for a variety of occasions, including Christmas.
The romantic melody sounds more voluminous if you place the music box on a larger resonating body. Either you free the little mechanical music box from its decorated box or you press it together with its packaging onto a table, a box or a chair. It will start to sound louder.
