These three lovely madrigals would be ideal for a mixed standard ensemble whose more advanced players were just starting out on altos and basses. The excellent arrangments give most of the interest to the upper flutes with the lower instruments having a more supportive role. This is obviously great for confidence. All three madrigals are great but Now is the Month of Maying will bring the house down!
These are three of the most popular English madrigals, arranged faithfully to their original vocal scoring. Sing We and Chant It is a boisterous dance in 3 time with scope for emphasising its hemiolas. The Silver Swan is a slow, doleful song about a dying swan, with beautiful lines particularly on the highest voice. Now Is the Month of Maying tears along in a really energetic 2-feel and, like the other Morley piece here, contains lots of fa-la-la-ing (without the words)!
Performance duration (approx): 2'20
