Second, we have kicked off the season by starting to learn a substantial amount of new repertoire – nine pieces, to be exact. As the repertoire has largely been unchanged for the last couple of years, this comes as true refreshment and extra motivation. Let us take a quick glance at each of the pieces, one by one.

Chi la Gagliarda, by Baldassare DONATO (c.1527-1603), is a light and simple four-part Italian dance piece – as the name suggests, it is indeed written in galliard rhythm. However, the text itself reveals a clever game of double entendre, as the first line may either be read “Who wants to learn the galliard, lady?” or “Who wants to learn about the vigorous woman?” The rest of the lines talk about how “us, masters, never stop playing, be it day or night”.

Thomas WEELKES (1576-1623) is an English composer deeply indebted to the Italian musical forms and style of his day, yet more original and better rooted in the English musical tradition that his more famous compatriot and fellow composer Thomas Morley, who lived around the same time. Weelkes’ three-voice Ayeres (1608) contains short and light incidental music, two of which we have added to our repertoire this year. Come, Sirrah Jack, Ho! Is as close to being an early 17th century advertising jingle as it can get – the song praising tobacco of the brand “Trinidado” as one that has never seen its equal, and bringing into question the good judgment of all those who do not agree on this point.

Like Thomas Morley, Weelkes also collaborated with William Shakespeare in composing songs for his plays. Though, at least in this particular regard, Morley seems to have outperformed Weelkes (both in quality and output), Strike it up, Tabor! is still a lovely and engaging little song from the same volume of three-part songs (Ayeres, 1608). As far as we can tell, it was not intended for any particular play or scene (another contrast to Morley, whose Shakespearian songs are always specific on this account): it is a generic piece about any group of comrades looking for an evening of dance and entertainment in the town’s tavern.

In contrast to Weelkes and Morley, William BYRD (1540-1623), who is most famous for his sacred works, did not intend to mimic the then-dominant Italian musical style. Though he had written a vast body of secular songs, few of those resemble the madrigals of his contemporaries, English or Italian. In fact, our new repertoire song represents one of his rare forays into the composition of madrigals. The five-part Come, Woeful Orpheus is replete with chromatic voice leading and sudden, awkward changes in tonality. But there is method to the madness: Byrd’s intention of parodying the late Renaissance mannerist style of Italy is clear from the text – which, among other things, talks of “sourest sharps and uncouth flats” – just as one hears them in the music itself. Since the mannerist style, embodied by composers such as Luca Marenzio, Luzzasco Luzzaschi, or Carlo Gesualdo, was reveling in the use of strange harmonic leaps as an expressive tool, Byrd’s piece may be seen as a critique of that style, written in musical form.

Italian composer Adriano BANCHIERI (1568-1634) is known for his words “as well as serious dramatic works, people need joyful pieces providing light entertainment – do the former well and enjoy the latter”. Today, he is certainly better remembered for his latter type of music, such as the madrigal Contrapunto Bestiale Alla Mente, the five-part “counterpoint of the animals”, in which a mock-serious cantus firmus is heard in the bass line, while the other parts squeal, bark, meow, and in all sorts of other ways provide a chorus of various creatures yielding the accompaniment.

One of the most influential composers of the early high Renaissance was the Franco-Flemish Cipriano de RORE (c.1515-1565), who spent much of his life working in Italy. His four-part masterpiece Mia Benigna Fortuna is written on the text of Petrarch, the “father of humanism” and the poet who more than all others inspired the imagination of the late-Renaissance Italian composers. The poem, written in the form of a sestina, laments the death of his beloved Laura during the plague, emphasizing the sudden change in his “kind fortune and happy life” to “hating his life and longing for death”. A thorough analysis of this deep and multi-layered piece of music is material for future posts.

Orazio VECCHI (1550-1605) was another Italian composer who, though today better known for his lighter madrigals, was during his time a daring innovator and one of the pioneers of early quasi-operas which eventually led to Peri’s Dafne (the first opera ever written, in 1598) and Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (1607), the opera that brought the genre to life and paved the way for the likes of Händel, Mozart, Weber, Wagner, Puccini, and such contemporary composers as John Adams. So Ben Mi Ch’ha Bon Tempo is a short, strophic, angst-filled and beautiful four-part song with clever use of pseudo-polyphony in its final fa-la-la section.

The song Sumer Is Icumen In (“summer has arrived” in Middle English) was probably written around 1260 (the composer’s identity is uncertain), and as such, it is the first known example of a piece of music employing six-part polyphony. It is essentially a round, with voice after voice entering into the musical frame. Though naturally its harmonic world is somewhat archaic by our standards, it is very much enjoyable and easy to listen to for a piece that was written during the times of the Notre Dame school of composition – a more academic experiment with polyphony within the context of sacred music whose products sound much more weird to the modern ear.

Finally, a simple and lovely French chanson by Claudin de SERMISY (c.1490-1562), Tant que Vivray. The beautiful melody in the soprano line is mostly supported by simple homophonic accompaniment from the other three parts. The song is about the joy a lover feels when, after a long and arduous siege, his/her beloved (“his” in this particular song – though that hardly matters) finally yields and gives in to the passions of love.

All current, past, and prospective new members are invited to join us for this very rewarding season! All voice parts welcome, SATB! Joining the group is as simple as sitting in with us for a rehearsal, singing with us, and having a vocal assessment/placement audition with our Director, Sarah J. Rau.

During this season we learn and polish our ensemble sound to perform, in quartets or larger, in costume, Victorian era and earlier carols for, to name a few: The State and Main Street Area Associations, Kerrytown Market and Shops, UM Hospital, Ypsilanti Historical Museum, and the Tyme Well Spent Tearoom. Our gigs are generally 1/2 to 3/4 hour sets for up to 3 hours/with appropriate breaks, performed both on the street and in indoor venues.

The Arbor Consort is a volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion and performance of early a capella music. Compensation is not provided, but expense reimbursement may be made available at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Our repertoire will consist of up to 35-40 Victorian era and earlier seasonal favorites (SATB) that current and past singers know and love, as well as new music to challenge us as vocalists. Memorization is not required, but having your head up and being engaged with the audience is!

Please join us and Director Sarah Rau, or please pass the invitation on to other interested singers you may know. If you will be joining us, or have someone who may be interested in doing so, please direct them to repond to thearborconsort@gmail.com, or direct them to visit us here on the web.

The Board of The Arbor Consort looks forward to seeing you!

Thank You, and Best Regards,
Kurt Buker
President, The Arbor Consort

Our show times and places are as follows:

11 am: Front Gate

1 pm: Elsinor Lane

2:30 pm: Seagate Crossing

3:30 pm: Road of Valor

4:30 pm: Elsinor Lane

BlackRock Medieval Summerfest is located at 13215 W. M-96 Augusta, MI  49012

sung beautifully by the Hilliard Ensemble:

Il bianco e dolce cigno is in the Arbor Consort’s repertoire for the 2012 season, and is a perennial favorite of our group.

Natalie gave a nice presentation on Josquin last week at rehearsal, so I went hunting for one of his pieces in our repertoire to post here.  I found this awesomely fun version of El Grillo by the Hilliard Ensemble.  I also giggled at the picture in the background!

Italian Text:

El grillo è buon cantore
Che tiene longo verso.
Dalle beve grillo canta.
Ma non fa come gli altri uccelli
Come li han cantato un poco,
Van de fatto in altro loco
Sempre el grillo sta pur saldo,
Quando la maggior el caldo
Alhor canta sol per amore.

English Translation (from cpdl)

The cricket is a good singer
He can sing very long
He sings all the time.
But he isn’t like the other birds.
If they’ve sung a little bit
They go somewhere else
The cricket remains where he is
When the heat is very fierce
Then he sings only for love.

(Note: Video length is 10 minutes, but the song ends between the 2 and 3 minute mark. I do not know why they left the extra time up there)  Though the video maker does not list the ensemble singing, I’m sure it’s the Tallis Scholars from their English Madrigals (plus 7 English Anthems) CD.

The madrigal is Bennet’s contribution to The Triumphs of Oriana.  As per wikipedia

Every madrigal in the collection contains the following couplet at the end: “Thus sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana: long live fair Oriana” (the word “Oriana” often being used to refer to Queen Elizabeth).

 

The Arbor Consort has “All Creatures Now” in our repertoire, along with another of Bennet’s pieces, “Weep, O Mine Eyes”.

More Morley.

Sung so very, very well by the King’s Singers here.

Lyrics from CPDL:

I love, alas, I love thee, my dainty darling.
Come kiss me then, Amaryllis,
More lovely than sweet Phyllis.

Poor Phyllis. Of course, we all know she gets hers, eventually.

Italian text from CPDL 
Matona, mia cara, Mi follere canzon,
Cantar sotto finestra, Lantze bon compagnon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Ti prego m’ascoltare, che mi cantar de bon,
E mi ti foller bene, come greco e capon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Comandar alle cacce, cacciar, cacciar con le falcon,
Mi ti portar becacce, grasse come rognon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Se mi non saper dire, tante belle razon,
Petrarcha mi non saper, Ne fonte d’Helicon.
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.
Se ti mi foller bene, mi non esser poltron,
Mi ficcar tutta notte urtar, urtar, urtar come monton,
Don don don, diri diri, don don don don.

English Translation from Lasksongsings.com (an excellent source for further reading):

“My dear Lady, I’d love to sing a song below your window.

I’m a lancer, and a good lad. Please listen to me, for I sing well, and I love you greatly, as a Greek does his capon.

When I go hunting, hunting with a falcon, I’ll bring you woodcocks as fat as a kidney.

Though I do not know so many elegant phases, and know nothing of Petrarch, or the fountain of Helicon, if you’ll have me, I’m no laggard, I’ll make love to you all night long, thrusting like a ram.”

A properly irreverant performance by the Hilliard ensemble follows:

The King’s Singers will explain some more of what the song is about, and where it comes from.  Enjoy!

Lyrics from (cpdl)

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Je me levé un bel maitin,

Matineta per la prata;

encontré le ruyseñor,

que cantaba so la rama, dindirindin.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Encontré le ruyseñor,

que cantaba so la rama,

“Ruyseñor, le ruyseñor,

facteme aquesta embaxata,

dindirin din.”

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

“Ruyseñor, le ruyseñor,

facteme aquesta embaxata,

Y digalo a mon ami:

que je ya só maritata, dindirindin.”

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Translation (from cpdl)

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

I arose one fine day

and spent the morning in the meadow;

I heard the nightengale

singing on the bough, din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

I heard the nightengale

singing on the bough,

Nightengale, oh nightengale,

do this errand for me,

din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.

Nightengale, oh nightengale,

do this errand for me,

tell my lover

that I am already married! Din-di-rin-din.

Dindirin danya, dindirindin.