Be peace! ye make me spill my ale!

This spirited English madrigal for ATB voices depicts a rowdy and convivial scene. The text vividly captures a lively argument, perhaps over drinks, where one character complains of spilled ale and uninvited roughhousing. The dialogue escalates with playful resistance and exasperated ultimatums, painting a picture of boisterous fun and informal social interaction. The composer, anonymous, masterfully uses the intimate ATB texture to bring this humorous, everyday drama to life with a lighthearted and engaging spirit characteristic of secular Renaissance part-music.