Glebe Music Festival

John Thorne (c.1519 - 73)

Stella caeli (Star of Heaven)

Brooke Green (b.1964)

Empress Gi

Jacob Obrecht (1457 - 1505)

Tsat een meskin (A young woman sat on a little block)

Josquin des Prez (1450/55 - 1521)

De tous biens plaine (My mistress possesses every virtue)

Alessandro Grandi (1586 - 1630)

Cantabo Domino (I will sing unto the Lord)

Robert White (1538 - 74)

Mr White, His Songe

Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643)

Rimanti in pace (Stay here in peace), Madrigals Book III

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 - 1621)

Engelsche Fortyne (Fortune My Foe) (arr. Philip Serna)

Anon. Broadside Ballad, 1636

London Looke Backe (arr. Brooke Green & Simon Martyn-Ellis)

William Lawes (1602 - 45)

Suite No.1: Fantasia, Aire (Almain), Aire (Galliard)
(arr. Brooke Green)

Brooke Green

When the Plague was in town
(text: Michael Wise: Westminster Quibbles,1672)

Stella caeli exstirpavit quae lactavit Dominum
Mortis pestem quam plantavit primus parens hominum.

The star of heaven who suckled the Lord
Has rooted out the plague of death which the first parent planted.

Ipsa stella nunc dignetur sidera compescere,
Quorum bella plebem caedunt dirae mortis ulcere.

May that very star now deign to restrain the constellations
Whose wars kill the people with the sore of terrible death.

O gloriosa stella maris, a peste succurre nobis:
Audi nos, nam te filius nihil negans honorat.
Salva nos, Jesu! Pro quibus virgo mater te orat.

O glorious star of the sea, save us from the plague.
Hear us, for thy Son honours thee, refusing thee nothing.
Save us, Jesus, on whose behalf the virgin mother beseeches thee.

Cantabo Domino in vita mea:
psallam Deo meo quamdiu sum.
Iucundum sit ei eloquium meum
ego vero delectabor in Domino.

I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God while I have my being.
And so shall my words please him
My joy shall be in the Lord.
(Psalm 103:33, 34b Vulgate)

«Rimanti in pace» a la dolente e bella
Fillida, Tirsi sospirando disse.
«Rimanti, io me ne vo; tal mi prescrisse
legge, empio fato, aspra sorte e rubella.»

Ed ella ora da l'una e l'altra stella
stillando amaro umore, i lumi affisse
ne i lumi del suo Tirsi e gli trafisse
il cor di pietosissime quadrella

“Stay here in peace,” said Thyrsis, sighing,
to the lovely and grieving Phyllida.
“Stay here, I go; as decreed by the law,
pitiless destiny, bitter and hostile fate.”

And then, distilling bitter tears
from each of her starry eyes, she fixed her gaze
on that of her Thyrsis, and pierced
his heart with the most piteous arrows.

Ond’ei, di morte la sua faccia impressa,
disse: «Ahi, come n’andrò senza il mio sole,
di martir in martir, di doglie in doglie?»
Ed ella, da singhiozzi e pianti oppressa,
fievolmente formò queste parole:
«Deh, cara anima mia, chi mi ti toglie?»

Then he, with death engraved upon his face,
said, “Alas, how can I go without my sun,
from torment to torment, grief to grief?”
And she, overcome with sobs and tears,|
faintly formed these words:
“Ah, my beloved soul, who tears you from me?”
(Livio Celiano)