William Byrd (~1540-1623)
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O lord, make thy servant Elizabeth
our Queen to rejoice in thy strength.
Give her her heart's desire
and deny not the request of her lips.
But prevent* her
with thine everlasting blessing
and give her a long life
e'en for ever and ever. Amen.
*prevent: give spiritual guidance and help
Agnus Dei, from Mass for four voices (3'45)
performed by the Oxford Camerata
| Agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, | Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, | |
| miserere nobis. | have pity on us. | |
| Agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, | Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, | |
| miserere nobis. | have pity on us. | |
| Agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, | Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, | |
| dona nobis pacem. | give us peace. |
Sing joyfully (2'50)
performed by the Tallis Scholars
Sing joyfully unto God our strength;
sing loud unto the God of Jacob.
Take the song and bring forth the timbrel,
the pleasant harp and the viol.
Blow the trumpet in the new moon,
even in the time appointed
and at our feast day.
For this is a statute for Israel
and a law of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:1-4
This sweet and merry month of May (2'02)
performed by the King's Singers
This sweet and merry month of May
While Nature wantons in her prime,
And birds do sing and beasts do play,
For pleasure of the joyful time,
I choose the first for holiday
And greet Eliza with a rhyme:
O beauteous Queen of second Troy,
Take well in worth a simple toy.
Though Amaryllis dance in green (4'53)
performed by the Tallis Scholars
Though Amaryllis dance in green
Like Fairy Queen,
And sing full clear;
Corinna can, with smiling, cheer.
Yet since their eyes make heart so sore,
Hey ho! chil* love no more.
My sheep are lost for want of food
And I so wood*
That all the day
I sit and watch a herd-maid gay;
Who laughs to see me sigh so sore,
Hey ho! chil love no more.
Her loving looks, her beauty bright,
Is such delight!
That all in vain
I love to like, and lose my gain
For her, that thanks me not therefore.
Hey ho! chil love no more.
Ah wanton eyes! my friendly foes
And cause of woes;
Your sweet desire
Breeds flames of ice, and freeze in fire!
Ye scorn to see me weep so sore!
Hey ho! chil love no more.
Love ye who list, I force him not:
Since God is wot*,
The more I wail,
The less my sighs and tears prevail.
What shall I do? but say therefore,
Hey ho! chil love no more.
* chil = I'll, wood = silly, wot = knowing, in the Somerset dialect
John Dowland (1563-1626)
Come again! sweet love doth now invite (4'21)
performed by Paul Agnew (tenor), Christopher Wilson (lute)
Come again! sweet love doth now invite
Thy graces that refrain
To do me due delight,
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die,
With thee again in sweetest sympathy.
Come again! that I may cease to mourn
Through thy unkind disdain;
For now left and forlorn
I sit, I sigh, I weep, I faint, I die
In deadly pain and endless misery.
All the day the sun that lends me shine
By frowns do cause me pine
And feeds me with delay;
Her smiles, my springs that makes my joys to grow,
Her frowns the winters of my woe.
All the night my sleeps are full of dreams,
My eyes are full of streams.
My heart takes no delight
To see the fruits and joys that some do find
And mark the storms are me assign'd.
Out alas, my faith is ever true,
Yet will she never rue
Nor yield me any grace;
Her eyes of fire, her heart of flint is made,
Whom tears nor truth may once invade.
Gentle Love, draw forth thy wounding dart,
Thou canst not pierce her heart;
For I, that do approve
By sighs and tears more hot than are thy shafts
Did tempt while she for triumph laughs.
Can she excuse my wrongs (2'26)
performed by Paul Agnew (tenor), Christopher Wilson (lute)
Can she excuse my wrongs* with virtue's cloak?
Shall I call her good when she proves unkind?
Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke?
Must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find?
No, no: where shadows do for bodies stand,
Thou may'st be abused if thy sight be dim.
Cold love is like to words written on sand,
Or to bubbles which on the water swim.
Wilt thou be thus abused still,
Seeing that she will right thee never?
If thou canst not overcome her will,
Thy love will be thus fruitless ever.
Was I so base, that I might not aspire
Unto those high joys which she holds from me?
As they are high, so high is my desire:
If she this deny what can granted be?
If she will yield to that which reason is,
It is reason's will that love should be just.
Dear make me happy still by granting this,
Or cut off delays if that I die must.
Better a thousand times to die,
Then for to live thus still tormented:
Dear but remember it was I
Who for thy sake did die contented.
* my wrongs: the wrongs done to me
Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656)
See, see the shepherds' queen (2'09)
performed by I Fagiolini
See, see the shepherds' queen,
Fair Phyllis all in green,
Fa la la la la la la la la la la,
The shepherds home her bringing
With piping and with singing,
Fa la la la la la la la la la la,
Then dance we on a row,
And chant it as we go,
Fa la la la la la la la la la la.
Too much I once lamented (6'01)
performed by the Calmus Ensemble
To my ancient, & much reverenced Master, William Byrd
Too much I once lamented
While love my heart tormented.
Fa la la la la la la.
Alas! and Ay me! sat I wringing.
Now chanting go and singing.
Fa la la la la la la.