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Work

Thomas Weelkes Composer

Harke all ye lovely saints above (a5)   

Performances: 3
Tracks: 3
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Musicology:
  • Harke all ye lovely saints above (a5)
    Genre: Madrigal
    Pr. Instrument: Voice
This ironic, charming little madrigal is typical of Elizabethan musical wit, with its straight-faced text and teasing music. Using the typical classical conceits, the text declares "Hark, all ye lovely saints above, Diana hath agreed with Love, his fiery weapon to remove. Fa la la... Do you not see, how they agree? Then cease, fair ladies, why weep ye?" Surely with the pangs of love causing no more pain, women will have no more reasons to mourn. Of course, the text's hidden point is that those who believe they suffer most from love truly enjoy the experience. The music is mock-serious, with the typical descending lines, slow tempo, and changes from major to minor to illustrate such words as "weep" and "mourn." This is very skillful and would in itself make the work an interesting and appealing one, but the unusual feature of this madrigal is the complex, unusual rhythms of the "fa la" sections, with the accent on the "fa" syllable, which draw attention to the "fa la" part as being integral to the work, rather than mere embellishment.

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