Il est vray

The composer Jacques Arcadelt paints a poignant picture in this French chanson for ATTB voices. The text speaks of a lover's eye that weeps, tempting the singer's own to follow suit. However, reason intervenes, forbidding the imitation of such sorrow. The singer concludes that it is perfectly reasonable for the beloved's eye to lament, as it is the very cause of the singer's living death. Arcadelt's setting masterfully captures the emotional ebb and flow of this Renaissance text, creating a beautifully expressive work that would grace any chamber music programme.