Tres doulce fillette – Anonymous, from from Canti C numero cento cinquanto (Venice, 1504) (also from Canti C, see Par ung jour, Isaac)
Recommended ATTB, but SATB is also possible. The tempo of the recording is half note = 100, but there are a few meter changes to consider. There are 2 short sections that are in triple meter, signified by just a numeral 3 as the time signature (mm. 14-18 and 39 to the end). Here, the proportion is “whole = dotted whole”, which gives an effective tempo of half = 150, or dotted whole = 50. (I'm pretty sure the technical term for this is sesquialtera.) Also note that m. 32 is only a single measure with 3 half notes instead of 4, and m. 38 is a single measure with only 2 half notes. I would rate this piece as moderately difficult/advanced.
Unlike Par ung jour, this piece gives all 4 voices a chance to do decoration; no voice is stuck with “just the melody” for the whole piece. I really like the duet/call-and-response sections, like starting in m. 9 between upper and lower voices. And in m. 22, the Contra and Bassus have a chance to duet. Whoever this Anonymous was, I think they probably gave us some other good music as well.
And once again, this piece comes very close to fitting on SATB krummhorns! The Tenor only needs to take m. 23 and the first 3 notes in m. 24 down the octave, and all else is great. Enjoy!
Acknowledgments: I am grateful to Allen Garvin for making these wonderful transcriptions, and giving free permission to use them. If you are not familiar with his transcriptions (which are admittedly mostly done for viols, but work remarkably well for recorders and other instruments), you should explore the IMSLP website. Click HERE for a link to a page listing all of his contributions. Allen has added over 1500 pieces to IMSLP, nearly all Renaissance! Also, my everlasting thanks to Win Bent for providing sound engineering, as well as unfailing encouragement.
-- Susan Richter
Play-along files recorded by Susan Richter, supported by a grant from the Recorder Artist Relief Fund.