Date:Late 16th century (likely composed c. 1590s) Description:The Queen’s Alman is a well-known example of a Renaissance dance, specifically an alman, which was a popular courtly dance in the late 16th century. The alman is generally a lively, upbeat dance in duple time (4/4), often characterised by its steady rhythm …
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 …
Date:Late 16th to early 17th century (c. 1599–1611) Description:“New Alman” is a popular English Renaissance dance tune, most famously associated with John Playford’s later The Dancing Master collections, though earlier manuscript versions exist. The term “Alman” (also spelled “Almain”) refers to a type of stately duple-time dance of German origin, …
Date:Late 16th century Description:Madam Cecilia’s Alman, alternatively named Madam Sosilia’s Alman, is a lively Renaissance dance piece, belonging to the family of Almain or Alman dances. This particular piece is named after Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, a common reference in Renaissance music, especially when dedicated to notable …
Date:Early 17th century (first published c. 1612) Description:The Lorraine Alman is an instrumental dance piece from the Liber Primus Leviorum Carminum, a collection of lighter, dance-related works from the early 17th century. The Alman is typically performed in a moderate duple time and is characterised by its lively, yet stately …
Date:1589 Description:The “Horse’s Bransle” (Branle des Chevaux) is a lively French Renaissance dance, published in Orchésographie (1589), a dance manual by Thoinot Arbeau (pseudonym of Jehan Tabourot). It mimics the prancing and cantering of horses, often with dancers adding playful movements. Discussion:This dance is part of a larger suite of …
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, …