Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the night and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Gibbons Nunc dimittis from Short Service SATB
Nunc dimittis is sung at the liturgical night office of many Western denominations, including Evensong and Compline. Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, which he did when Mary and Joseph brought their infant son to the Temple of Jerusalem for the purification ceremony (Candlemas: 2 February). Gibbons’ wonderful Short Service is largely homophonic and syllabic (one syllable per note), although at the Gloria a canon between soprano and alto is set up, giving a masterly impression of a greater complexity. The work is one of quiet profundity, giving rise to a feeling of something greater than the individual self.
Farmer Fair Phyllis
or YouTube (This is in the right key, but we won’t sing it that fast!) Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Farmer was born around 1570 and was for a while organist of Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals in Dublin. Other than his contribution to Morley’s Triumphs of Oriana, Farmer composed just one collection of four-part madrigals. Fair Phyllis dates from 1599 and is a polyphonic romp in Arcadian meadows, with a fair amount of ribaldry thrown in for good measure. It alternates between duple and triple time and contains some clever word-painting: solo sopranos on ‘all alone’, tutti on ‘feeding her flock’ and some wry elision on ‘kissing up and down’. ‘Hied’ is an archaic way of saying ‘hurried’.
Farmer Fair nymphs, I heard one telling Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATBB/SSAATB – continued from last meeting
Another celebration of the Virgin Queen and her fair realm, from The Triumphs of Oriana, with plenty of lively imitation between the two soprano parts. We looked at this in the last meeting and, as it is lengthy, some thought it was worth a re-visit.
Wilbye Lady, when I behold Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Although Wilbye’s output (64 madrigals) is contained in only two collections, dated 1598 and 1609 respectively, it is of the highest quality and places him among the leading English madrigal composers. Lady, when I behold is set to a a light, amorous text based on the simplest of conceits. Its delightfully airy and carefree music demonstrates a textural subtlety and lightness of scoring in the best tradition of the pastoral madrigal - a perfect evocation of springtime.
Weelkes As Vesta was Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATTB
Thomas Weelkes was a colourful personality, known for drunkenness and blasphemy: as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography puts it, ‘he was not the only disorderly member of the cathedral establishment, though in due course he would become its most celebrated’. He became organist at Winchester College in 1598, before obtaining his B. Mus from Oxford in 1602 and moving to Chichester Cathedral. In 1616 he was reported to the Bishop for being ‘noted and famed for a comon drunckard (sic) and notorious swearer & blasphemer’, and he was dismissed for being drunk at the organ and using bad language during divine service. He was however reinstated and remained in the post until his death (although his behaviour did not improve!). Weelkes’ madrigals have often been compared to Wilbye’s and he was friends with Morley.
There is some glorious word-painting in this well-known Oriana madrigal. Look out for, and enjoy ‘hill’, ‘descending’, ‘ascending’, ‘running down’, ‘two by two’, ‘three by three’, ‘all alone’, and ‘Long (live fair Oriana)’. The musical architecture is ABCDCBA, based not on musical themes but on contrasts of texture. If necessary we can extend looking at this into the March meeting.
Weelkes On the plains, fairy trains SSATB
A delightful, straightforward ballet. Dancing fairies, nymphs depicting the usual Arcadian delights!
Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the night and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Gibbons Nunc dimittis from Short Service SATB
Nunc dimittis is sung at the liturgical night office of many Western denominations, including Evensong and Compline. Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, which he did when Mary and Joseph brought their infant son to the Temple of Jerusalem for the purification ceremony (Candlemas: 2 February). Gibbons’ wonderful Short Service is largely homophonic and syllabic (one syllable per note), although at the Gloria a canon between soprano and alto is set up, giving a masterly impression of a greater complexity. The work is one of quiet profundity, giving rise to a feeling of something greater than the individual self.
Farmer Fair Phyllis
or YouTube (This is in the right key, but we won’t sing it that fast!) Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Farmer was born around 1570 and was for a while organist of Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals in Dublin. Other than his contribution to Morley’s Triumphs of Oriana, Farmer composed just one collection of four-part madrigals. Fair Phyllis dates from 1599 and is a polyphonic romp in Arcadian meadows, with a fair amount of ribaldry thrown in for good measure. It alternates between duple and triple time and contains some clever word-painting: solo sopranos on ‘all alone’, tutti on ‘feeding her flock’ and some wry elision on ‘kissing up and down’. ‘Hied’ is an archaic way of saying ‘hurried’.
Farmer Fair nymphs, I heard one telling Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATBB/SSAATB – continued from last meeting
Another celebration of the Virgin Queen and her fair realm, from The Triumphs of Oriana, with plenty of lively imitation between the two soprano parts. We looked at this in the last meeting and, as it is lengthy, some thought it was worth a re-visit.
Wilbye Lady, when I behold Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Although Wilbye’s output (64 madrigals) is contained in only two collections, dated 1598 and 1609 respectively, it is of the highest quality and places him among the leading English madrigal composers. Lady, when I behold is set to a a light, amorous text based on the simplest of conceits. Its delightfully airy and carefree music demonstrates a textural subtlety and lightness of scoring in the best tradition of the pastoral madrigal - a perfect evocation of springtime.
Weelkes As Vesta was Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATTB
Thomas Weelkes was a colourful personality, known for drunkenness and blasphemy: as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography puts it, ‘he was not the only disorderly member of the cathedral establishment, though in due course he would become its most celebrated’. He became organist at Winchester College in 1598, before obtaining his B. Mus from Oxford in 1602 and moving to Chichester Cathedral. In 1616 he was reported to the Bishop for being ‘noted and famed for a comon drunckard (sic) and notorious swearer & blasphemer’, and he was dismissed for being drunk at the organ and using bad language during divine service. He was however reinstated and remained in the post until his death (although his behaviour did not improve!). Weelkes’ madrigals have often been compared to Wilbye’s and he was friends with Morley.
There is some glorious word-painting in this well-known Oriana madrigal. Look out for, and enjoy ‘hill’, ‘descending’, ‘ascending’, ‘running down’, ‘two by two’, ‘three by three’, ‘all alone’, and ‘Long (live fair Oriana)’. The musical architecture is ABCDCBA, based not on musical themes but on contrasts of texture. If necessary we can extend looking at this into the March meeting.
Weelkes On the plains, fairy trains SSATB
A delightful, straightforward ballet. Dancing fairies, nymphs depicting the usual Arcadian delights!
Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the night and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Gibbons Nunc dimittis from Short Service SATB
Nunc dimittis is sung at the liturgical night office of many Western denominations, including Evensong and Compline. Simeon was a devout Jew who had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah, which he did when Mary and Joseph brought their infant son to the Temple of Jerusalem for the purification ceremony (Candlemas: 2 February). Gibbons’ wonderful Short Service is largely homophonic and syllabic (one syllable per note), although at the Gloria a canon between soprano and alto is set up, giving a masterly impression of a greater complexity. The work is one of quiet profundity, giving rise to a feeling of something greater than the individual self.
Farmer Fair Phyllis
or YouTube (This is in the right key, but we won’t sing it that fast!) Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Farmer was born around 1570 and was for a while organist of Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals in Dublin. Other than his contribution to Morley’s Triumphs of Oriana, Farmer composed just one collection of four-part madrigals. Fair Phyllis dates from 1599 and is a polyphonic romp in Arcadian meadows, with a fair amount of ribaldry thrown in for good measure. It alternates between duple and triple time and contains some clever word-painting: solo sopranos on ‘all alone’, tutti on ‘feeding her flock’ and some wry elision on ‘kissing up and down’. ‘Hied’ is an archaic way of saying ‘hurried’.
Farmer Fair nymphs, I heard one telling Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATBB/SSAATB – continued from last meeting
Another celebration of the Virgin Queen and her fair realm, from The Triumphs of Oriana, with plenty of lively imitation between the two soprano parts. We looked at this in the last meeting and, as it is lengthy, some thought it was worth a re-visit.
Wilbye Lady, when I behold Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
Although Wilbye’s output (64 madrigals) is contained in only two collections, dated 1598 and 1609 respectively, it is of the highest quality and places him among the leading English madrigal composers. Lady, when I behold is set to a a light, amorous text based on the simplest of conceits. Its delightfully airy and carefree music demonstrates a textural subtlety and lightness of scoring in the best tradition of the pastoral madrigal - a perfect evocation of springtime.
Weelkes As Vesta was Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATTB
Thomas Weelkes was a colourful personality, known for drunkenness and blasphemy: as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography puts it, ‘he was not the only disorderly member of the cathedral establishment, though in due course he would become its most celebrated’. He became organist at Winchester College in 1598, before obtaining his B. Mus from Oxford in 1602 and moving to Chichester Cathedral. In 1616 he was reported to the Bishop for being ‘noted and famed for a comon drunckard (sic) and notorious swearer & blasphemer’, and he was dismissed for being drunk at the organ and using bad language during divine service. He was however reinstated and remained in the post until his death (although his behaviour did not improve!). Weelkes’ madrigals have often been compared to Wilbye’s and he was friends with Morley.
There is some glorious word-painting in this well-known Oriana madrigal. Look out for, and enjoy ‘hill’, ‘descending’, ‘ascending’, ‘running down’, ‘two by two’, ‘three by three’, ‘all alone’, and ‘Long (live fair Oriana)’. The musical architecture is ABCDCBA, based not on musical themes but on contrasts of texture. If necessary we can extend looking at this into the March meeting.
Weelkes On the plains, fairy trains SSATB
A delightful, straightforward ballet. Dancing fairies, nymphs depicting the usual Arcadian delights!
