Het bedruckte wijf

Gheerkin de Hondt's Het bedruckte wijf is a secular madrigal for SATB choir singing in Dutch. The text paints a picture of domestic discord, describing a wife who feels misunderstood and unsupported by her husband, who she suspects is part of a disreputable band. She laments that he is neither a friend nor someone who meets her needs, casting him as an old greybeard she never truly knew. This lively, imitative part-music would suit a festive occasion, offering a chance for a choir to explore dramatic text painting within a Renaissance framework.