Già fu chi m'ebbe cara

A wistful reflection on lost love, this Italian madrigal by Palestrina is sung by a four-part choir (SATB). The text recalls a time when the singer was dear to a youthful lover who held them close, their eyes alight with passion. The swift passage of time was spent entirely in mutual adoration. The singer, proud and responsive, felt worthy of such devotion. Now, however, that love is gone, leaving a deep sense of sorrow. This piece offers a poignant opportunity for a choir to explore the bittersweet emotions of memory and regret through delicate polyphony.