About the NYMS Since they first came together in 1990, The New York Madrigal Singers (NYMS) swiftly established themselves as one of the freshest, most adventurous and promising vocal ensembles to perform in the New York area. The group was founded with the intention of bringing some of the lesser known masterpieces of the vocal repertoire to a wider audience, and it's performances of Renaissance and Baroque music have been enthusiastically received at concerts throughout the city. This CD marks the achievement of a further step towards this goal. It is hoped that the works recorded and mastered here by engineer Erik-Peter Mortensen of Papagena Productions, and the manner in which they are performed reflect the mission of the NYMS: to remind us of the richness and beauty bequeathed by the a Capella choral tradition, and to explore its emotional range to the fullest possible extent. The NYMS are based in the Morningside Heights area of New York, and have performed in many churches in the Tri-State area. This recording was made over a series of recording sessions in several New York locations, including church spaces and private homes. The very talented ensemble varied from session to session, and each track will indicate (by letter designation from the list below) which member performed on a particular track. The opening and closing tracks, (#’s 1 & 23), were performed live at a concert in the spring of 2005 at The Church of the Transfiguration (aka “The Little Church Around the Corner”, a favorite of the Actor’s Guild in New York City at 5th Avenue and 29th Street), and thus have the fullest compliment of members on this album. About the Director Erik-Peter Mortensen founded the NYMS at the age of 21. Having demonstrated musical talent at a very early age, much of his subsequent education was directed towards vocal training. By the age of 10, he had already appeared on the stage of the Metropolitan and New York City Operas. By the time he completed his musical degree at Columbia University, he had amassed considerable experience in both directing and singing in vocal chamber ensembles. As director of the NYMS, Mr. Mortensen spends considerable time searching for exciting a Capella repertoire that deserves greater exposure. The Members Musical Director, Executive Producer, Recording and Mastering Engineer: Erik-Peter Mortensen Associate Producers: Wavell Bailey William Meredith Amanda Rose Smith Rania Syrou Sopranos: Suzanne Torrison (a) Johanna Cabilli (b) Toby Newman (c) Maria Costa (d) Mezzo-Sopranos Allison Cheeseman (e) Claudia Dumschat (f) Elizabeth Marker (g) Countertenors Lou Calvano (h) Jay Rozendaal (i) Tenors Mark Steadman (j) Edwin Santayana (k) Phil Tambakis (l) Andrew Paulsen (m) David Erik Lee (n) Basses Erik-Peter Mortensen (o) David Caldwell (p) Edward Willis (q) Joel Warden (r) Charles Grey, Jr. (s) Reviews The pre-classical a capella vocal stylings of Madrigal music is both distinct and lovely. The New York Madrigal Singers have been interpreting this music for over 20 years under the direction of the talented bass Erik-Peter Mortensen. A Treasury of English Madrigals is the ensemble’s second album and offers a wide collection of different composers. Rarely are all twenty members of the vocal ensemble assembled at once thus each song is an intimate intertwining of a small group of voices as originally intended . . . the talented vocalists convey the appropriate emotions in each delivery thus maintaining the Renaissance composers’ original intentions . . . The height of this genre’s popularity was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century. Opening the album is John Bennett’s “All Creatures Now” which pays a mythological tribute to the Queen, referring to her as Oriana. Over a half dozen works on the album were composed by organist Thomas Weelkes whose pieces are complexly structured and a joy to listen to. Topically he writes of romantic love in “Four Arms, Two Necks, One Wreathing,” to more jovial gaiety in the swaying “Sing We At Pleasure”. Weelkes’ good friend and fellow composer Thomas Morley supplies the majority of sashaying larks trimmed with plenty of “fa, la las.” Perhaps the basis for Guenevere’s whimsical musing “The Lusty Month of May” in Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, are the Morley penned “Now is the Month of Maying” and “On a Fair Morning”. Keeping his tunes cheery with a simple rhyme scheme, Morley’s “Sing We and Chant It” is also delightfully included. Not all the songs are of blissful mirth. Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins invokes deep sadness in the non-secular “When David Heard” which ends in a gorgeous extended cadence. “Too Much I Once Lamented” employs beautiful, rich layering of the voices that swells with emotion. Thomas Bateson’s contribution to the album is the lush lament “Those Sweet Delightful Lillies” culminating in an excellent plagal cadence and John Wilibye’s despondent “Weep, Weep Mine Eyes” sounds like a dirge. The New York Madrigal Singers are undoubtedly a marvel to hear live. It is difficult to capture the intricate textured vocal qualities on recordings; however the ensemble stays true to the essence of the music. The poetry in John Mundi’s “Were I a King” and Orlando Gibbon’s “The Silver Swan” contemplating mortality are gorgeous alone. When set to music these works become awe-inspiring pieces of art. Perhaps if the group’s notoriety continues to grow, more expansive recording opportunities will become available. Kelly O'Neil, (ReviewYou) 4 Stars Track Texts 1. ALL CREATURES NOW: J. Bennet (1570- after 1614) a, b, c, d, e, f, h, i, k, n, o, p, q, s All creatures now are merry minded, The shepherd's daughters playing, the nymphs are falalaing. Yon bugle was well winded. At Oriana's presence each thing smileth. The flow'rs themselves discover, Birds over her do hover, Music the time beguileth, See where she comes, with flow'ry garlands crowned, Queen of all queens reknowned. Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, "Long live fair Oriana!" 2. WEEP, O MINE EYES: J. Bennet (1570- after 1614) b, f, k, o, q Weep, O mine eyes and cease not,
alas, these your spring tides methinks increase not.
O when begin you
to swell so high that I may drown me in you? 3. NOW IS THE MONTH OF MAYING: T. Morley (1558-1602) a, e, j, k, o, p Now is the month of maying,
When merry lads are playing,
Fa la la la la la la la la,
Fa la la la la la lah.
Each with his bonny lass
Upon the greeny grass.
Fa la la, etc... The Spring, clad all in gladness,
Doth laugh at Winter's sadness,
Fa la la, etc...
And to the bagpipe's sound
The nymphs tread out their ground.
Fa la la, etc... Fie then! why sit we musing,
Youth's sweet delight refusing?
Fa la la, etc...
Say, dainty nymphs, and speak,
Shall we play barley-break?
Fa la la etc... 4. WEEP, WEEP, MINE EYES: John Wilbye (c.1574-1638) a, e, h, j, k, o, p Weep, weep, mine eyes, my heart can take no rest; Weep, weep, my heart, mine eyes shall ne'er be blest; Weep eyes, weep heart, and both this accent cry, A thousand thousand deaths I die, I die. Ay me, ah Cruel Fortune,ay me, Now, Leander, to die I fear not, Death, do thy worst, I care not! I hope when I am dead in Elysian plain To meet, and there with joy we'll love again 5. OYEZ! HAS ANY FOUND A LAD? T. Tomkins (1572-1656) e, f, j, o Oyez! Has any found a lad, with purple wings fair painted, in naked beauty clad, with bow and arrows tainted? Here, alas! Here, close he lieth, take him quick before he flieth. 6. O CARE, THOU WILT DESPATCH ME (Part 1): T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) b, e, f, h, k, l, o O, Care, thou wilt dispatch me, If music does not match thee. Fa la la. So deadly dost thou sting me, Mirth only help can bring me. Fa la la. 7. HENCE, CARE! THOU ART TOO CRUEL (Part 2): T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) b, e, f, h, k, l, o Hence, Care! Thou art too cruel, Come music, sick man's jewel. Fa la la. His force had well nigh slain me, But thou must now sustain me. Fa la la. 8. ON A FAIR MORNING: T. Morley (1558-1602) a, c, e, g, l, o On a fair, a fair morning, as I came by the way, met I with a merry merry maid, in the merry month of May. When a sweet love sings his lovely lay, And every bird upon the bush bechirps it up so gay, with an heave and ho, thy wife will be thy master I trow: Sing care away, let the world go, Hey lustily, all in a row: Sing care away, let the world go. 9. COME SABLE NIGHT: J. WARD (1571-1638) b, e, f, h, j, k, o, q Come, sable night, put on thy mourning stole, and help Amyntas sadly to condole. Behold, the sun hath shut his golden eye, the day is spent, and shades fair lights supply. All things in sweet repose their labours close; Only Amyntas wastes his hours in wailing, whilst all his hopes do faint, and life is failing. 10. HAVE I FOUND HER?: F. Pilkington (c.1570-1638) a, c, e, g, l, o Have I found her? O rich finding, Goddess-like for to behold, Her fair tresses seemly binding, In a chain of pearl and gold. Chain me, chain me, O most fair, Chain me to thee with that hair. 11. FOUR ARMS, TWO NECKS, ONE WREATHING: T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) a, b, e, g, o, r Four arms, two necks, one wreathing, Two pair of lips, one breathing.   Fa, la, la. Two hearts that multiply Sighs interchangeably.   Fa, la, la. 12. SING WE AND CHANT IT: T. Morley (1558-1602) a, e, j, k, o, p Sing we and chant it, While love doth grant it, Fa la la etc.   Not long youth lasteth, And old age hasteth; Now is best leisure To take our pleasure. Fa la la etc.   All things invite us Now to delight us, Fa la la etc.   Hence, care, be packing, No mirth be lacking; Let spare no treasure To live in pleasure. Fa la la etc. 13. WERE I A KING: J. Mundi (c.1550-1630) a, c, e, g, l, o Were I a king, I might command content, were I obscure, unknown should be my cares, and were I dead, no thoughts should me torment, nor words, nor wrongs, nor loves, nor hopes, nor fears, a doubtful choice, of three things one to crave, a kingdom or a cottage or a grave. 14. THULE, THE PERIOD OF COSMOGRAPHY (Part 1): T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) b, e, f, h, l, m, o Thule, the period of cosmography, Doth vaunt of Hecla, whose sulphurious fire Doth melt the frozen clime, and thaw the sky, Trinacrian Ætna's flames ascend not higher: These things seem wondrous, yet more wondrous I, Whose heart with fear doth freeze, with love doth fry. 15. THE ANDALUSIAN MERCHANT (Part 2): T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) b, e, f, h, l, m, o The Andalusian merchant, that returns Laden with cochineal and china dishes, Reports in Spain, how strangely Fogo burnes Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes: These things seem wondrous, yet more wondrous I, Whose heart with fear doth freeze, with love doth fry. 16. WHEN DAVID HEARD: T. Tomkins (1572-1656) b, e, g, l, o, r "When David heard that Absalom was slain, he went up to his chamber and wept. And thus he said: Oh, my son! Absalom my son. Would God I had died for you." 17. FAIR PHYLLIS I SAW SITTING ALL ALONE: J. Farmer (1565-c.1605) e, f, j, o Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone Feeding her flock near to the mountain side. The shepherds knew not, they knew not whither she was gone, But after her lover Amyntas hied, Up and down he wandered whilst she was missing; When he found her, O then they fell a-kissing. 18. TOO MUCH I ONCE LAMENTED: T. Tomkins (1572-1656) b, e, g, l, o Too much I once lamented, while love my heart tormented, fa la la la. Alas, and ay me, sat I wringing, now chanting go, and singing, fa la la la. 19. I LOVE, ALAS, I LOVE THEE: T. Morley (1558-1602) e, o, k, l, r I love, alas, I love thee, my dainty darling. Come kiss me then, Amaryllis, More lovely than sweet Phyllis. 20. THOSE SWEET DELIGHTFUL LILIES: T. Bateson (c.1570-1630) a, b, e, g, k, l, o, r Those sweet delightful lilies Which nature gave my Phyllis, Ah me! each hour make me to languish, So grievous is my pain and anguish. 21: SING WE AT PLEASURE: T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) a, b, e, g, l, o, r Sing we at pleasure, Content is our treasure. Sweet love shall keep the ground, Whilst we his praises sound. All shepherds in a ring Shall, dancing, ever sing. 22: THE SILVER SWAN: O. Gibbons (1583-1625) b, e, f, h, k, l, o The silver Swan, who, living, had no Note, when Death approached, unlocked her silent throat. Leaning her breast upon the reedy shore, thus sang her first and last, and sang no more: "Farewell, all joys! O Death, come close mine eyes! More Geese than Swans now live, more Fools than Wise." 23: AS VESTA WAS FROM LATMOS HILL DESCENDING: T. Weelkes (c.1575-1623) a, b, c, d, e, f, h, i, k, n, o, p, q, s As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending, She spied a maiden queen the same ascending, Attended on by all the shepherds swain, To whom Diana's darling came running down amain, First two by two, then three by three together, Leaving their goddess all alone, hasted thither; And mingling with the shepherds of her train, With mirthful tunes her presences entertain. Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana Long live fair Oriana