Post Tagged with: "madrigal"

The Months of Morley 2: “Yada yada yada”

May 2, 2016 at 10:30 am

Remember that Seinfeld episode that turned a stupid catchphrase into a national sensation? ***

Elaine: “Yeah. I met this lawyer, we went out to dinner, I had the lobster bisque, we went back to my place, yada yada yada, I never heard from him again.”
Jerry: “But you yada yada’d over the best part.“
Elaine: “No, I mentioned the bisque.”

Thomas Morley (friend and composer of no less than Shakespeare) was in last week’s post: “April is in my Mistress’ Face“. His “Now is the Month of Maying” is another madrigal with seasonal references. This time, though, his December-hearted lover has been warmed by the May sun:

Now is the month of maying,
When merry lads are playing, fa la la …
Each with his bonny lass,
Upon the greeny grass. fa la la …
Whoa! Wait a minute. You fa la la’d over the best part!

 *** Technically, this was every single episode of Seinfeld.
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The Months of Morley 1: Frozen

April 25, 2016 at 10:30 am

It’s only natural that humans compare their lives to the world around them – the birth (or rebirth) of life at spring, the fruits of summer, the autumnal decline, the unforgiving winter.

Composer Thomas Morley lived during England’s Elizabethan golden age and is best known for the secular Madrigals – choral pieces related to the polyphonic sacred music of the time, but with texts about love, death, and everything in between. Morley was probably friends with Shakespeare, and is one of only two composers whose music was used in Shakespeare‘s productions while the great poet was alive.

His short madrigal, “April is in my Mistress’ Face” compares his lover to … er … certain months of the year.

Ouch.

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