Je ne veux plus que chanter

This five-part chanson by Orlando di Lasso sets a French text of heartbreak and devotion. The singer declares he can only sing of sadness, for to sing otherwise would mean his death, a consequence of his mistress's absence. The original secular text explores the agony of separation, with the singer finding solace only in lament. A sacred contrafactum exists, replacing the mistress with sin and God, but this version retains the secular sentiment. It is a poignant expression of unrequited or absent love, suitable for a chamber choir seeking to explore the rich emotional landscape of Renaissance secular part-music.