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 …
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 …