Date:Early 17th century (published 1609) Description:The Pigeon is a lively, rhythmic English madrigal by Thomas Ravenscroft. It is characterised by its playful melody and engaging harmonies, typical of the type of part-songs Ravenscroft was known for. The piece is often performed as a four-part madrigal, with lively interactions between the …
Date:Early 17th century (published 1611) Description:The Maid She Went a-Milking by Thomas Ravenscroft is a lively, light-hearted English folk song with a humorous and playful character. It tells the story of a young maid who goes milking, with the repeated refrain emphasizing the innocence and simplicity of the task. This …
Date:1609 Description:“I Pray You Good Mother” is a charming English song by Thomas Ravenscroft, included in his Deuteromelia (1609). This piece is a three-part round (catch) and is a good example of the playful and conversational nature of English madrigals and catches from the period. The song has a catchy, …
Date:Early 16th century (c. 1500–1520) Description:“Pleni sunt Caeli” is a sacred Latin motet composed by Pierre de la Rue, a prominent Flemish composer of the Renaissance. The title, meaning “Heaven and earth are full of Your glory,” is taken from the Sanctus of the Catholic Mass. This motet is characterised …
Date:16th century (likely composed c. 1590) Description:“Phyllis Farewell” is a Renaissance English madrigal composed by Thomas Belston, a lesser-known English composer of the period. The piece is a parting song in which the singer bids farewell to Phyllis, a beloved figure. Like many madrigals of the time, it blends themes …
Date:14th century (melody); text found in Piae Cantiones, 1582 Description:“Personent Hodie” is a Latin Christmas carol with medieval origins, widely associated with the collection Piae Cantiones, a book of songs preserved in Finland and first published in 1582. The melody likely dates from the 14th century and is sometimes linked …
Date:Published 1609 (in Pammelia) Description:“O my love” is a light-hearted English round (catch or canon) from the early 17th century, featured in Thomas Ravenscroft’s Pammelia, the first known collection of rounds and canons in English. It belongs to a popular tradition of convivial and often humorous part-singing intended for domestic …
ate:Early 17th century Description:Your Shinning Eyes is a light, lyrical English madrigal or part-song attributed to Thomas Belston. The text is a typical expression of Renaissance courtly admiration, focused on the beloved’s captivating gaze and the pain of longing. Discussion:Though not as widely known as his contemporaries, Thomas Belston contributed …
Date:1609 Description:Weepe, O Mine Eies is one of John Wilbye’s most expressive madrigals, filled with sorrowful imagery and intense emotional depth. It explores themes of longing and inner torment, using striking chromaticism and dissonance to paint the text. Discussion:Published in Wilbye’s Second Set of Madrigales (1609), this piece is a …
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 …