This edition was prepared by Suzi Nassen Stefl — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
By a bank
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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By a bank by Thomas Ravenscroft — Lyrics
By a bank as I lay,
Musing on a thing that was past and gone, hey ho.
In the merry month of May,
O somewhat before the day,
Methought I heard at the last.
O the gentle nightingale,
The lady and mistress of all musick,
She sits down ever in the dale
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About By a bank
This charming English madrigal paints a pastoral scene of the composer musing by a riverbank in the merry month of May. The gentle sounds of nature, particularly the song of the nightingale, inspire joy and quicken the spirits. The text then transitions from this idyllic setting to a heartfelt prayer for the protection of England and its King, James. Thomas Ravenscroft’s setting for SATB choir captures the pastoral mood and the patriotic sentiment with flowing melodies and clear part-writing, typical of secular Renaissance part-music.
