D'ogni gratia et d'amor la madr'errante

Alessandro Striggio’s D'ogni gratia et d'amor la madr'errante is a rich example of secular Italian madrigal writing for a substantial SATTTB choir. The music unfolds with a complex, interwoven texture, characteristic of the genre, where the ten voices engage in intricate polyphonic interplay. The text, a poetic allegory, describes the personification of grace and love journeying from its traditional Mediterranean abodes to the British Isles, specifically the River Thames. It speaks of this figure being crowned with golden lilies, a potent symbol of royalty and purity, and her fame echoing across the land and sea. The madrigal captures the grandeur and mythological resonance of its subject through its elaborate vocal architecture.