This edition was prepared by Robert Urmann — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
In dew of roses
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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5 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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In dew of roses by Thomas Morley — Lyrics
In dew of roses, steeping
Her lovely cheeks, Lycoris thus sat weeping.
Ah Dorus false, that hast my heart bereft me,
and now unkind hast left me:
Hear, alas hear, O hear me;
Ay me, cannot my beauty move thee?
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About In dew of roses
Thomas Morley was a leading figure in English music of the late Renaissance. This secular madrigal for mixed voices is a fine example of the genre, with its expressive setting of a poignant English text. The words depict the sorrow of Lycoris, who weeps amongst roses, lamenting the cruelty of her false lover, Dorus. She pleads for his pity, but he remains unmoved, causing her to despair and ultimately curse him, vowing her ghost will haunt him. The demanding vocal parts, encompassing SSAT, SSTB, and SATB voicings, offer rich harmonic possibilities for a skilled choir to convey the text’s emotional journey from heartbreak to vengeful lament.
