John Coprario's first book of songs, Funeral Teares, was published in 1606, to commemorate the passing of Charles Blount (1563-1606), who was the Earl of Devonshire and the eighth Baron Mountjoy.

      Penelope, mentioned in the Latin poem in the preface, was Blount's wife, Penelope Rich, the sister of the Earl of Essex.

      Coprario quoted other pieces in this collection; the bassus in O th'unsure hopes begins with a quotation of Doughtie's He is dead and gone, lady, and the bassus in In darkness let me dwell starts with the first line of the traditional tune How should I your true love know? The third line of Oft thou hast, in the cantus part, is reminiscent of the opening of Innsbruck, ich muß dich laßen, and this motif appears in a number of the other songs.

      The MIDI files were created by PowerTracks Pro, using a Kurzweil K1000 SE II as the input device. The cantus part is on track 1, the alto on track 2, lute is on track 3, and bassus is on track 4.