Down the hills Corinna trips

Thomas Bateson’s delightful madrigal paints a picture of Corinna tripping down the hills and through the groves. She is greeted by a thousand birds, arriving in twos and threes, who perch upon a tree. Eager to see Corinna, they offer her a serenade, tuning their notes to her praise and welcoming her with roundelays. This secular part-song, for SSATB choir, is a fine example of the English madrigal tradition, with its light-hearted text and intricate vocal interplay.