Helas ne fringuerons nous

Pierre Certon was a prominent composer of the French Renaissance, and this chanson showcases his skill in secular part-music. Written for SATB voices, the piece is set to a lively French text. The lyrics pose a rhetorical question about whether the singers will ever frolic again, before describing a chambermaid who rises early to fetch water, expressing her own disillusionment. The composer captures the slightly melancholic humour of the text through his characteristic contrapuntal writing and clear, balanced phrasing, making it an engaging work for a mixed-voice choir.