Thomas Morley’s delightful English madrigal, “April is in My Mistress’ Face” was so very clearly composed in the Northern hemisphere! First published in 1594, this secular vocal piece evokes the passing of the seasons to describe a lover’s whims:
April is in my mistress' face,
And July in her eyes hath place;
Within her bosom is September,
But in her heart a cold December
The mood of each section of Morley’s work shifts to accommodate the text, and your articulation should shift, too! Enjoy the pleasant mix of homophony and polyphony as the four voices intertwine. Arranged for SATB recorders at an intermediate level, this is one of the best known of Morley’s madrigals, and for good reason!
-- Anne Timberlake
Play-along files recorded by Anne Timberlake, supported by a grant from the Recorder Artist Relief Fund.