Baises moy

In this charming secular chanson, Josquin des Prez sets a playful dialogue between two lovers. The first speaker pleads for a kiss, calling his beloved 'my sweet friend' and begging 'by love, I pray you'. Her resistance, however, is framed by a playful fear of her mother's reaction: 'I shall not!' / 'And why?' / 'If I were to commit the folly, / My mother would die of it.' This French song, with its text expressing this lighthearted exchange, is written for a large and varied ensemble, scored for STTTBB and SAATTB voices, allowing for a rich and varied texture.