Care lagrime mie

This expressive Italian madrigal for SATB voices sets a poignant text, invoking tears as messengers of bitter suffering. The poet laments that his tears cannot soften the heart of his beloved, which shows no pity for his pain. He pleads with his tears, asking them either to extinguish the burning flame of his love or to increase so greatly that he drowns in his own sorrow. Vincenzo Neriti da Salò crafts a beautiful musical setting for these dramatic words, typical of the rich secular part-music tradition of the Italian Renaissance. The work offers a chance for expressive ensemble singing, capturing the intense emotions of unrequited love.