Cest une dure departie

The plaintive words of this French chanson express the deep sorrow of a lover torn from their heart's desire. The singer describes a painful parting, vowing to retreat to a hermitage of longing. Each morning, they will go out to sing their suffering under the shelter of a bush. Claudin de Sermisy sets this lament for four voices (STTB), a popular combination for secular part-music of the Renaissance. The composer's setting captures the melancholic mood of the text with sensitive vocal writing.