Ah me! my mistress scorns my love

In this secular madrigal, Thomas Bateson laments the unrequited affections of his beloved. The text vividly expresses the singer's pain and despair as his mistress cruelly dismisses his love, heedless of his weeping and groaning. He resigns himself to farewell, concluding that it is unfitting to weep for one who laughs at his plight. The voicing for two sopranos and tenor (SST) allows for expressive dialogue and harmonic interplay, capturing the emotional turmoil of the text. Bateson's madrigal is a fine example of Renaissance part-music, skillfully setting the poetic sentiments with musical pathos.