Date:c. 1599 Description:Weep, O Mine Eyes is a late Elizabethan madrigal by English composer John Bennet. The text and music express sorrow and unrequited love, set in lush polyphony characteristic of the English madrigal tradition. Discussion:This piece was published in Bennet’s Madrigalls to Fovre Voyces (1599). It pays homage to …
Date:Late 13th century Description:Tant con je vivrai is a courtly love song by Adam de la Halle, one of the most significant trouvères of the 13th century. The title translates to “As long as I live”, and the piece exemplifies the lyrical and melodic qualities of secular medieval French song, …
Date:Late 14th century Description:Stella Splendens is a vibrant pilgrim song from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, a manuscript compiled circa 1399 at the monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia. The title translates to “Shining Star”, referring to the Virgin Mary, who is praised in the song as a beacon of light …
Date:Early 17th century (published 1602) Description:So Ben mi Ch’ha Bon Tempo is a lively and humorous Italian balletto composed by Orazio Vecchi. The title translates roughly to “I know well who is having a good time,” and the text playfully lists various people enjoying themselves in different ways. With its …
Date:Late 16th century (c. 1572) Description:“O Magnum Mysterium” is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas, which has been set to music by many composers over the centuries. One of the most celebrated settings is by the Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria, composed in the late Renaissance period. …
Date:15th century (c. 1450) Description:“Nowel syng we bothe al and som” is a medieval English carol celebrating the Nativity. It is one of the best-known examples of the burden and verse structure typical of the time, where a repeated refrain (burden) alternates with varied verses. This carol comes from a …
Date:Early 17th century (c. 1601) Description:“My Love Hath Vow’d” is a lute song (or air) composed by Thomas Campion, one of the prominent English composer-poets of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. The piece appears in “A Booke of Ayres” (1601), a collection of songs for voice and lute, published in …
Date:Late 16th century (though versions may be much older) Description:“Margot labourez les vignes” is a French folk song that has become widely recognised as part of the French folk tradition, particularly in the regions where vineyards are prevalent. It is a lively, dancelike tune with an infectious rhythm, making it …
Date:Late 14th century (c. 1399) Description:Laudemus Virginem is one of the ten surviving musical pieces from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, a manuscript compiled at the monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia. This hymn praises the Virgin Mary and reflects the devotional atmosphere of the pilgrimage site. It is a monophonic …
Date:Late 16th century Description:Laudate Nomen Domini is a short, joyful Latin motet attributed to Christopher Tye, composed in a simple and elegant polyphonic style. The piece is a setting of Psalm 112:1 (from the Vulgate), and the text translates as “Praise the name of the Lord, you servants of the …