Binchois in his chansons generally treats the two lower lines as pure accompaniment to the discantus. When considered on their own, his very restrained, pink ribbon-like lines come off as merely flat, verging on banality, but with his gift for subtle colorations, as provided by the supporting counterpoint, a whole world of rich aromas is unlocked as from the opening of a secret spice box. It may be said too often, but it remains true: "Still waters run deep."

This chanson is especially richly harmonized, and the subordinate voices especially kinetic. The discantus often remains fairly plain and narrow ranged, spending most of its time patiently negotiating the space within a major third, while melismas rise up like slow birds out of the internals of the countertenor. When you go for country walks in the low countries of Europe, where Binchois worked all his life, you'll often be startled by frightened pheasants that explode out of the foliage at the side of the road. In this case, it seems to be the restless ghost of Binchois haunting the music.

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