| Title | Composer | Date | Key | Lang. | Type | Subject |
| Sumer is icumen in | Anonymous | 1250 | D | Eng | Mundane | Nature |
| Mille regretz de vous abandonner | Josquin Desprez | 1475 c | D | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| El grillo | Josquin Desprez | 1475 c | F | It | Mundane | Love games |
| Alla cazza | Anonymous | 1490 | F | It | Mundane | Hunting |
| Cucú, cucú! | Juan del Encina | 1498 c | G | Sp | Mundane | Domestic Life |
| Fatal la parte | Juan del Encina | 1498 c | Gm | Sp | Mundane | Domestic Life |
| Pasa el agoa, ma Julieta | Anonymous | 1510 c | G | Fr-Sp | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Marfira, por vos muero | Anonymous | 1510 c | Fm | Sp | Classic | Love Lost |
| Lirum Bililirum | Rossino Mantovano | 1510 fl | D | It | Mundane | Love Games |
| Ach Elslien, liebes Elselien | Ludwig Senfl | 1515 c | Gm | Ger | Classic | Love Won |
| Au feu d'amour | Pierre de la Rue | 1518 | F | Fr | Mundane | Love Penitent |
| Reconfortez le petit cueur de moy | Clément Janequin | 1528 | A | Fr | Classic | Love Games |
| Jouyissance vous donneray | Claudin de Sermisy | 1528 | Gm | Fr | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Au joli jeu du pousse avant | Clément Janequin | 1529 | F | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| Ce moys de may | Clément Janequin | 1529 | G | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| Au joly boys | Claudin de Sermisy | 1529 | Em | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| Tourdion | Anonymous | 1530 | Fm | Fr | Mundane | Drink |
| Petite nymphe folastre | Clément Janequin | 1530 c | G | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| J’ay double dueil | Clément Janequin | 1530 c | Am | Fr | Classic | Love Unrequited |
| Languir me fais | Claudin de Sermisy | 1530 c | A flat | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| Pastyme with good company | Henry VIII | 1530 c | G | E | Classic | Love Philosophical |
| Tant que vivray | Claudin de Sermisy | 1530 c | G | Fr | Classic | Love Faithful |
| Vive la serpe | Claudin de Sermisy | 1530 c | G | Fr | Mundane | Drink |
| L'hiver sera et l'été variable | Jacques Arcadelt | 1535 c | Gm | Fr | Classic | Love Faithful |
| Margot labourez les vignes | Jacques Arcadelt | 1535 c | G | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| Il bianco e dolce cigno | Jacques Arcadelt | 1535 c | G | It | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Conque la lavare | Juan Vasquez | 1538 | Em | Sp | Classic | Love Lost |
| Vitrum nostrum gloriosum | Anonymous | 1540 | Am | Lat | Mundane | Drink |
| Allon, gay bergeres | Guillaume Costely | 1540 c | Dm | Fr | Mundane | Christmas |
| Il est bel et bon | Pierre Passereau | 1540 c | Em | Fr | Mundane | Domestic Life |
| À ce joly moys | Clément Janequin | 1543 | G | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| L'amour de moy | Anonymous | 1550 c | E flat | Fr | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Laet varen alle fantasie | Lupus Episcopius | 1550 c | F | Fl | Mundane | Drink |
| Doulce Mémoire | Pierre Sandrin | 1550 c | Fm | Fr | Classic | Lamentation |
| En voz adieux | Cyprian de Rore | 1551 | A flat | Fr | Classic | Lamentation |
| De los álamos vengo | Juan Vasquez | 1551 | B flat | Sp | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Lindos oios aveis, señora | Juan Vasquez | 1551 | Am | Sp | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Ave Maria | Jacques Arcadelt | 1557 | G | Lat | Sacred | Prayer |
| La Puce | Claude Le Jeune | 1558 c | G | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| O Bone Jesu | Gi. P. da Palestrina | 1560 | Am | Lat | Sacred | Prayer |
| Mon coeur se recommande à vous | Roland de Lassus | 1560 | F | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| Mignonne, allons voir si la rose | Guillaume Costely | 1560 c | F | Fr | Classic | Love celebrated |
| Quand le berger vit la bergère | Guillaume Costely | 1560 c | Am | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| Un gentil amoureux | Claude Le Jeune | 1560 c | G | Fr | Classic | Love Won |
| Matona, mia cara | Orlando di Lasso | 1560 c | G | It | Mundane | Love Games |
| Bonjour mon coeur | Roland de Lassus | 1560 c | F | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| Un jour vis un foulon qui foulait | Roland de Lassus | 1576 | Bm | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| La nuit froide et sombre | Roland de Lassus | 1576 fl | Dm | Fr | Classic | Nature |
| Amor vittorioso | Giovanni Gastoldi | 1580 | Em | It | Classic | Love Militant |
| Voyci le verd et beau may | Jacques Maudit | 1586 fl | A flat | Fr | Classic | Nature |
| Puis que le ciel veult ainsi | Jean Planson | 1587 | Gm | Fr | Classic | Love Lost |
| Pavane | Thoinot Arbeau | 1589 | Gm | Fr | Mundane | Love Games |
| April is in my mistress' face | Thomas Morley | 1594 | Gm | Eng | Classic | Love Lost |
| Tanzen und springen | Hans-Leo Hassler | 1594 c | C | Ger | Mundane | Love Games |
| Ach, weh des Leiden | Hans Leo Hassler | 1594 c | B flat | Gr | Classic | Love Lamented |
| Come again | John Dowland | 1597 | G | Eng | Mundane | Love Lost |
| Now, O now I needs must part | John Dowland | 1597 | G | Eng | Mundane | Love Lost |
| Fair Phyllis I saw sitting | John Farmer | 1598 | F | Eng | Mundane | Love Games |
| Adieu, sweet Amaryllis | John Wilbye | 1598 | Gm | Eng | Classic | Love Lost |
| Lady,when I behold the roses | John Wilbye | 1598 | Gm | Eng | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Weep, weep, mine eyes | John Wilbye | 1598 c | E | E | Classic | Lamentation |
| Weep, O mine eyes | John Bennet | 1599 | Am | Eng | Classic | Lamentation |
| Fine knacks for ladies | John Dowland | 1600 | F | Eng | Mundane | Love Games |
| So ben mi ch'a bon tempo | Orazio Vecchi | 1600 | Em | It | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Say, love if ever | John Dowland | 1603 | G | E | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Time stands still | John Dowland | 1603 | G | E | Classic | LoveCelebrated |
| Of all the birds that I do Know | John Bartlet | 1606 | G | Eng | Mundane | Love Games |
| Four arms two necks one wreathing | Thomas Weelkes | 1608 | Em | Eng | Mundane | Love Games |
| Come, sirrah Jack, ho! | Thomas Weelkes | 1608 | G | Eng | Mundane | Tobacco |
| Contrappunto bestiale alla mente | Adriano Banchieri | 1610 | C | It | Mundane | Animals |
| Have I found her? | Francis Pilkington | 1613 | C | E | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Beau le cristal | Roland de Lassus | 1619 fl | C | Fr | Classic | Philosophy |
| O yes! Has any found a lad? | Thomas Tomkins | 1622 | A flat | Eng | Classic | Love Games |
| Lasciate mi morire | Claudio Monteverdi | 1623 | C | It | Classic | Lamentation |
| Quel augellin, che canta | Claudio Monteverdi | 1623 | E | It | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| Lamento della ninfa | Claudio Monteverdi | 1638 | Am | It | Classic | Love Lost |
| In these delightful pleasant groves | Henry Purcell | 1676 | B flat | Eng | Classic | Love Celebrated |
| If music be the food of love | Henry Purcell | 1680 | Fm | Eng | Classic | Love Celebrated |
Singing Renaissance music is an extremely pleasurable experience no matter which part you take. The most probable reason for this, is that a great number of composers were also singers and choir directors. For them melody was of prime importance and each part had its own. Polyphony (meaning many voices) preceded any idea of chords. Harmony was a very practical and intuitive exercise. Modern choral works can sound wonderful, but most require each voice to serve the over-all texture and harmony of the piece at the expense of the interweaving of individual melodies. Then voices and instruments were interchangeable and the players wrote the music. Dowland's music can be mostly instrumental with either a tenor or soprano singing the main melody or it can be sung with the bass taking over the viol part and the others giving words to the lute part. (This is discussed really well by Anthony Rooley in the album notes for his recording of Dowland's First Book of Songs.)
Most of our repertoire is taken from the secular side of the music.
In comparison to the Medieval period, Renaissance secular music is in overwhelming
abundance. We can really thank people like Gütenburg and Caxton
for this. Prior to 1450, anything written was copied by hand. Most
of the copying was done in monasteries. They also had the best chance
of preservation with their well developed libraries. With the introduction
of the printing press came an explosion of books, and with it, music.
But behind most pieces of secular music was a composer with a religious
day job. Sermisy, de Lassus, Arcadelt, Senfl, Janequin, and even
Weelkes were all found in churches and court chapels across Europe doing
their major work for Sunday morning, while always finding a little time
for Saturday night. The sexual allusion of Blues and Rock'n Roll
has nothing on the raunchy Renaissance. (As long as you can read between
the lines.)
If you wish to hear any of these pieces as MIDI files, email:
Brian Fisher at lepage_fisher@videotron.ca