Online Program
Programme
The Most High and Mighty Christianus the Fourth,
King of Denmark, His Galliard
John Dowland
Ursi Frei, soprano recorder
Robert McNamara, lute
Elizabeth Gaver, violin
Troy Brunke, Elaine DeMarco, Russell Frank, Penny Hanna, viols
Jefferson DeMarco, Laura Frank, Carleton Macy, Mark Stevens, recorders
Allmand II
William Brade
*****
All Creatures now are Merry Minded
John Bennet
Sweet Honey Sucking Bees
John Wilbye
*****
The Leaves be Green (Browning)
William Byrd
*****
The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard
John Dowland
Can She Excuse my Wrongs
John Dowland
Elaine DeMarco, soprano
Robert McNamara, lute
*****
Sing Joyfully
William Byrd
Praise our Lord all ye Gentiles
William Byrd
*****
Allemande and Galliard
William Brade
*****
Arise, Awake
Thomas Morley
Sweet Suffolk Owl
Thomas Vautor
*****
The Sighes
Anthony Holborne
The Night Watch
Anthony Holborne
*****
Though Amaryllis Dance in Green
William Byrd
Jody Lee, Soprano
*****
La Volta
William Byrd
MaryClare Martin, harpsichord
My Lord of Oxenford's Mask
William Byrd
Robert McNamara, lute,
Elaine DeMarco, Renaissance guitar
MaryClare Martin, virginals
Elizabeth Gaver, violin
Ursi Frei, alto recorder
Penny Hanna, viola da gamba
*****
This Sweet and Merry Month of May
William Byrd
Jody Lee, soprano
Elaine DeMarco, soprano
Nona Childress, alto
David Canright, tenor
Mark Stevens, tenor
Frank Raab, bass
As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending
Thomas Weelkes
*****
Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
John Dowland
Jody Lee, soprano
Laura Frank, alto
Mark Stevens, tenor
Frank Raab, bass
All Creatures now are Merry Minded
John Bennet
All creatures now are merry minded,
The shepherd's daughters playing,
the nymphs are falalaing.
Yon bugle was well winded.
At Oriana's presence each thing smileth.
The flow'rs themselves discover,
Birds over her do hover,
Music the time beguileth,
See where she comes,
with flow'ry garlands crowned,
Queen of all queens reknowned.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
"Long live fair Oriana!”
Sweet Honey Sucking Bees
John Bennet
Sweet honey-sucking bees, why do you still
surfeit on roses, pinks and violets,
as if the choicest nectar lay in them
wherewith you store your curious cabinets?
Ah, make your flight to Melisuavia's lips.
There may you revel in ambrosian cheer,
where smiling roses and sweet lilies sit,
Keeping their springtide graces all the year.
Can She Excuse My Wrongs
John Dowland
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 reasons 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.
Sing Joyfully
William Byrd
Sing joyfully to God our strength;
sing loud unto the God of Jacob!
Take the song, 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.
Praise Our Lord, All Ye Gentiles
William Byrd
Praise our Lord all ye Gentiles,
praise him all ye people,
Because his mercy is confirmed upon us,
and his truth remaineth for ever.
Amen.
Arise, Awake
Thomas Morley
Arise, awake, awake,
You silly shepherds sleeping;
Devise some honour for her sake
By mirth to banish weeping.
See where she comes, lo where,
In gaudy green arraying,
A prince of beauty rich and rare for her delighting
Pretends to go a-maying.
You stately nymphs draw near
And strew your paths with roses;
In you her trust reposes.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
"Long live fair Oriana!”
Sweet Suffolk Owl
Thomas Vautor
Sweet Suffolk owl, so trimly dight,
With feathers like a lady bright,
Thou sing’st alone, sitting by night:
Te-whit, te-whoo…
Thy note, that forth so freely rolls,
With shrill command the mouse controls,
And sings a dirge for dying souls:
Te-whit, te-whoo…
Though Amaryllis Dance in Green
William Byrd
Though Amaryllis daunce in green,
like Fayrie Queene,
and sing full cleere,
Corina can with smiling cheer:
yet since their eyes make hart so sore,
hey ho, chill* love no more.
Ah wanton eyes my friendly foes,
and cause of woes:
your sweet desire,
breedes flames of ice and freese in fire:
yee skorne to see mee weep so sore,
hey ho, chill love no more.
Love yee who list I force him not,
sith God it wot,
the more I wayle,
the lesse my sighes and teares prevaile,
what shall I doe but say therefore,
hey ho, chill love no more.
*chill is an obsolete dialect word meaning "I will."
This Sweet and Merry Month of May
William Byrd
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 holy day,
And greet Eliza with a rhyme.
O beauteous Queen of second Troy:
Take well in worth a simple toy.
As Vesta was from Latmos Hill Descending
Thomas Weelkes
As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending,
She spied a maiden Queen the same ascending,
Attended on by all the shepherds' swain,
To whom Diana's darlings came running down amain,
First two by two, then three by three together,
Leaving their goddess all alone hasted thither;
And mingling with the shepherds of her train,
With mirthful tunes her presence entertain.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
"Long live fair Oriana!”
Now, O Now, I Needs Must Part
John Dowland
Now, O, now, I needs must part,
parting though I absent mourn.
Absence can no joy impart,
joy, once fled, cannot return.
While I live I needs must love,
Love lives not when hope is gone:
Now, at last, despair doth prove,
Love divided loveth none.
Sad despair doth drive me hence,
this despair unkindness sends.
If that parting be offence,
it is she which then offends!
Dear, when from thee I am gone,
Gone are all my joys at once.
I loved thee and thee alone,
in whose love I joyed once.
And, although your sight I leave,
sight wherein my joys do lie,
'Till that Death do sense bereave,
never shall affection die.
Sad despair…
Dear, if I do not return,
Love and I shall die together.
For my absence never mourn,
whom you might have joyed ever.
Part we must, though now I die,
Die I do to part with you;
Him despair doth cause to lie,
who both lived and dieth true.
Sad despair…
Madregalia!!
And the Pastyme Consort
Soprano
Elaine DeMarco, Jody Lee
Marilyn Maxner, Judi Moncrief
Alto
Nona Childress, Laura Frank
Elizabeth Gaver, Robin Jensen
MaryClare Martin, Kellie Morgantini
Tenor
David Canright, Robin Jensen, Ed Moncrief, Mark Stevens
Bass
Russell Frank, Andrew Passell, Frank Raab, Francis Toldi
Lute
Robert McNamara
Renaissance Guitar
Elaine DeMarco
Violin
Elizabeth Gaver, Nona Childress
Viola da Gamba
Troy Brunke, Elaine DeMarco
Jefferson DeMarco, Laura Frank
Russell Frank, Penny Hanna
Recorder
Jefferson DeMarco, Laura Frank
Ursi Frei, Carleton Macy, Mark Stevens
Harpsichord
MaryClare Martin
Percussion
Mike Novo
Music Director
Jefferson DeMarco
Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to have special guest artists Elizabeth Gaver and Penny Hanna join us once again.
Thanks also to Kellie Morgantini for her assistance with the publicity, and especially Sucha Becky for the marvelous poster.
Special thanks to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Pastor Joshua Schmidt and Board President Kenneth Goebel for use of the facilities.