Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the day and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Mudd Let thy merciful ears or YouTube SATB
Previously wrongly attributed to Weelkes, this is a short and lovely setting of the Collect for the 10th Sunday of Trinity.
Morley April is in my mistress’ face or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
This lilting English madrigal, written by Thomas Morley in 1594, is one of the best-known of the genre, although we haven’t sung it at a monthly meeting in my time. It is based on Vecchi's Nel vis'ha un vago Aprile and illustrates the essence of Morley’s concise style in a charming way: using a metaphor of weather and the seasons to convey the vicissitudes of the poet’s relationship with his lover, who seems to wield power over him. The opening is light and delicately textured with a rippling rhythm, whilst the penultimate line brings in a far longer legato. The first phrase of the last line, ‘but in her heart’, is repeated insistently, building emphasis and creating the musical climax. It reflects the movement of the poet’s state of mind: from delight and hope to a more wistful, subdued acceptance of reality.
Do listen to this BBC programme if you can - whilst it is an upper voices arrangement and the choir is on the large side, I think it is very beautifully sung and shows an intelligent treatment of the polyphony as well as a lovely sense of conviction.
Vautor Mother, I will have a husband or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
There is a lot of wit in this light-hearted and energetic portrayal of wilful adolescence. It is largely homophonic, but there are some interesting excursions, especially during the ‘gad’ into town (‘to get a husband, good or bad’) and at the inevitable kissing!
A master of light madrigals, Thomas Vautor was a household musician in the family of Mary Beaumont, of Glenfield, Leicestershire and held the same position in the household of Sir George Villiers after his marriage with her in 1592. Their son, also George, was rising in the favour of (and may have had an amorous relationship with) James I, and in 1619 was created Marquess of Buckingham. Vautor dedicated to the Marquess a collection of 22 madrigals, entitled The First Set; being Songs of diverse Ayres and Natures for Five and Sixe parts; Apt for Vyols and Voices.
E Gibbons Long live fair Oriana or YouTube SSATB
Ellis Gibbons (1573–1603) was an English composer and one of the older brothers of Orlando. Ellis was evidently considered promising and at the age of 28 he became the only composer, other than the Morley himself, to contribute two madrigals to The Triumphs of Oriana (the other being Round about her charret). Long live fair Oriana is semi-homophonic and, unusually, starts with a reference to the end of the piece. It is a slower and more introspective piece than many of the other Oriana madrigals.
Lassus Matona mia cara or YouTube SATB
Lassus was a prolific 16th century composer who composed in many genres. During his long career at the Bavarian court, he wrote hundreds of sacred and secular pieces in all three European languages common for music at the time.
Matona mia cara is a villanelle, a form of light Italian secular vocal music which originated in Italy just before the middle of the 16th century. It influenced the later canzonetta, and from there also influenced the madrigal. The subject matter is generally rustic, comic, and often satirical. In this piece, an inept German soldier stumbles upon his words as he tries to woo an Italian lady. The text cleverly resembles a strong German accent (even in modern Italian) and include some French which the soldier seems to mistake for Italian – bon, compagnon and ‘follere’ (which means nothing in Italian but closely resembles the vulgar ‘fottere’). The skill of the author exploits the limited language of the soldier, using simple expressions that help him to achieve an extremely funny monologue.
Tomkins Too much I once lamented or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
This is one of the loveliest of madrigals, with suspensions, dissonance and harmony showing a true mastery of the form, and the enigmatic combination of text and music creating an interesting interpretive challenge. The opening text suggest a light-hearted piece, but the melancholy of the music demonstrates something far different. Perhaps the piece reflects the feelings of a lover who wishes to cast off a fruitless love but has not yet succeeded...
Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the day and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Mudd Let thy merciful ears or YouTube SATB
Previously wrongly attributed to Weelkes, this is a short and lovely setting of the Collect for the 10th Sunday of Trinity.
Morley April is in my mistress’ face or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
This lilting English madrigal, written by Thomas Morley in 1594, is one of the best-known of the genre, although we haven’t sung it at a monthly meeting in my time. It is based on Vecchi's Nel vis'ha un vago Aprile and illustrates the essence of Morley’s concise style in a charming way: using a metaphor of weather and the seasons to convey the vicissitudes of the poet’s relationship with his lover, who seems to wield power over him. The opening is light and delicately textured with a rippling rhythm, whilst the penultimate line brings in a far longer legato. The first phrase of the last line, ‘but in her heart’, is repeated insistently, building emphasis and creating the musical climax. It reflects the movement of the poet’s state of mind: from delight and hope to a more wistful, subdued acceptance of reality.
Do listen to this BBC programme if you can - whilst it is an upper voices arrangement and the choir is on the large side, I think it is very beautifully sung and shows an intelligent treatment of the polyphony as well as a lovely sense of conviction.
Vautor Mother, I will have a husband or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
There is a lot of wit in this light-hearted and energetic portrayal of wilful adolescence. It is largely homophonic, but there are some interesting excursions, especially during the ‘gad’ into town (‘to get a husband, good or bad’) and at the inevitable kissing!
A master of light madrigals, Thomas Vautor was a household musician in the family of Mary Beaumont, of Glenfield, Leicestershire and held the same position in the household of Sir George Villiers after his marriage with her in 1592. Their son, also George, was rising in the favour of (and may have had an amorous relationship with) James I, and in 1619 was created Marquess of Buckingham. Vautor dedicated to the Marquess a collection of 22 madrigals, entitled The First Set; being Songs of diverse Ayres and Natures for Five and Sixe parts; Apt for Vyols and Voices.
E Gibbons Long live fair Oriana or YouTube SSATB
Ellis Gibbons (1573–1603) was an English composer and one of the older brothers of Orlando. Ellis was evidently considered promising and at the age of 28 he became the only composer, other than the Morley himself, to contribute two madrigals to The Triumphs of Oriana (the other being Round about her charret). Long live fair Oriana is semi-homophonic and, unusually, starts with a reference to the end of the piece. It is a slower and more introspective piece than many of the other Oriana madrigals.
Lassus Matona mia cara or YouTube SATB
Lassus was a prolific 16th century composer who composed in many genres. During his long career at the Bavarian court, he wrote hundreds of sacred and secular pieces in all three European languages common for music at the time.
Matona mia cara is a villanelle, a form of light Italian secular vocal music which originated in Italy just before the middle of the 16th century. It influenced the later canzonetta, and from there also influenced the madrigal. The subject matter is generally rustic, comic, and often satirical. In this piece, an inept German soldier stumbles upon his words as he tries to woo an Italian lady. The text cleverly resembles a strong German accent (even in modern Italian) and include some French which the soldier seems to mistake for Italian – bon, compagnon and ‘follere’ (which means nothing in Italian but closely resembles the vulgar ‘fottere’). The skill of the author exploits the limited language of the soldier, using simple expressions that help him to achieve an extremely funny monologue.
Tomkins Too much I once lamented or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
This is one of the loveliest of madrigals, with suspensions, dissonance and harmony showing a true mastery of the form, and the enigmatic combination of text and music creating an interesting interpretive challenge. The opening text suggest a light-hearted piece, but the melancholy of the music demonstrates something far different. Perhaps the piece reflects the feelings of a lover who wishes to cast off a fruitless love but has not yet succeeded...
Please note that music files that are linked to are not necessarily the same edition we will be using on the day and therefore there may be some slight differences.
Mudd Let thy merciful ears or YouTube SATB
Previously wrongly attributed to Weelkes, this is a short and lovely setting of the Collect for the 10th Sunday of Trinity.
Morley April is in my mistress’ face or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SATB
This lilting English madrigal, written by Thomas Morley in 1594, is one of the best-known of the genre, although we haven’t sung it at a monthly meeting in my time. It is based on Vecchi's Nel vis'ha un vago Aprile and illustrates the essence of Morley’s concise style in a charming way: using a metaphor of weather and the seasons to convey the vicissitudes of the poet’s relationship with his lover, who seems to wield power over him. The opening is light and delicately textured with a rippling rhythm, whilst the penultimate line brings in a far longer legato. The first phrase of the last line, ‘but in her heart’, is repeated insistently, building emphasis and creating the musical climax. It reflects the movement of the poet’s state of mind: from delight and hope to a more wistful, subdued acceptance of reality.
Do listen to this BBC programme if you can - whilst it is an upper voices arrangement and the choir is on the large side, I think it is very beautifully sung and shows an intelligent treatment of the polyphony as well as a lovely sense of conviction.
Vautor Mother, I will have a husband or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
There is a lot of wit in this light-hearted and energetic portrayal of wilful adolescence. It is largely homophonic, but there are some interesting excursions, especially during the ‘gad’ into town (‘to get a husband, good or bad’) and at the inevitable kissing!
A master of light madrigals, Thomas Vautor was a household musician in the family of Mary Beaumont, of Glenfield, Leicestershire and held the same position in the household of Sir George Villiers after his marriage with her in 1592. Their son, also George, was rising in the favour of (and may have had an amorous relationship with) James I, and in 1619 was created Marquess of Buckingham. Vautor dedicated to the Marquess a collection of 22 madrigals, entitled The First Set; being Songs of diverse Ayres and Natures for Five and Sixe parts; Apt for Vyols and Voices.
E Gibbons Long live fair Oriana or YouTube SSATB
Ellis Gibbons (1573–1603) was an English composer and one of the older brothers of Orlando. Ellis was evidently considered promising and at the age of 28 he became the only composer, other than the Morley himself, to contribute two madrigals to The Triumphs of Oriana (the other being Round about her charret). Long live fair Oriana is semi-homophonic and, unusually, starts with a reference to the end of the piece. It is a slower and more introspective piece than many of the other Oriana madrigals.
Lassus Matona mia cara or YouTube SATB
Lassus was a prolific 16th century composer who composed in many genres. During his long career at the Bavarian court, he wrote hundreds of sacred and secular pieces in all three European languages common for music at the time.
Matona mia cara is a villanelle, a form of light Italian secular vocal music which originated in Italy just before the middle of the 16th century. It influenced the later canzonetta, and from there also influenced the madrigal. The subject matter is generally rustic, comic, and often satirical. In this piece, an inept German soldier stumbles upon his words as he tries to woo an Italian lady. The text cleverly resembles a strong German accent (even in modern Italian) and include some French which the soldier seems to mistake for Italian – bon, compagnon and ‘follere’ (which means nothing in Italian but closely resembles the vulgar ‘fottere’). The skill of the author exploits the limited language of the soldier, using simple expressions that help him to achieve an extremely funny monologue.
Tomkins Too much I once lamented or YouTube Also in the Oxford Book of English Madrigals SSATB
This is one of the loveliest of madrigals, with suspensions, dissonance and harmony showing a true mastery of the form, and the enigmatic combination of text and music creating an interesting interpretive challenge. The opening text suggest a light-hearted piece, but the melancholy of the music demonstrates something far different. Perhaps the piece reflects the feelings of a lover who wishes to cast off a fruitless love but has not yet succeeded...
