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 …
Date:2013 (composed for the Barony of Ildhafn) Description:“Lauda for Ildhafn” is a modern piece written in the style of a medieval Italian laudi, a form of devotional song from the 13th–14th centuries. This composition honours the Barony of Ildhafn, a branch of the SCA located in New Zealand. Discussion:I wanted …
Date:Published in 1609 (in Deuteromelia) Description:“Lady, Come Down” is a lively and flirtatious English catch (round) from the early 17th century, featured in Thomas Ravenscroft’s collection Deuteromelia. The piece is short, repetitive, and humorous, written for multiple voices to be sung in canon. Its cheerful character and simple structure made …
Date:Late 15th century (appears in the Cancionero de Palacio, dated approximately 1490–1520) Description:“La Tricotea San Martin la vea” is a playful and satirical three-part song attributed to Alonso de la Plaja, found in the Cancionero de Palacio. The piece is a Spanish adaptation of a French song documented in the …