Lachrimæ, or Seaven Teares is the collection that made John Dowland famous across Europe—so much so that he proudly styled himself “Jo: Dolande de Lachrimæ.” The work is emblematic of the Elizabethan fascination with melancholy, yet it reminds us of a timeless paradox: sad music often brings us comfort, not despair. Indeed, Dowland himself once wrote: “no doubt pleasant are the teares which Musicke weepes, neither are teares shed alwayes in sorrowe, but sometimes in joy and gladnesse.” Or, as Elton John put it, “It feels so good to hurt so bad / and suffer just enough to sing the blues.” This concert probes this enduring paradox, pairing Dowland’s seven iconic pavans with songs from the 17th to the 20th centuries that reflect on music’s cathartic power and its remarkable ability to console, heal, and lift us up.