Thursday, October 04, 2007

A song about 'months' being in a woman.......or something!

Oh, Lizzie says it isn't a song. It's a madrigal. It's in one of Lizzie's music books. (Well, you've got to think positive and assume my singing will improve!) The one that I found, is called April is in my mistress' face. It's by Thomas Morley and he wrote it in 1594 so that means it's really, really old.

The first thing that I was told, when I remarked about it, was that you can't sing 'mistress's face' which I feel sure is better grammar. Lizzie says that's because there are just two notes for the word in the tune: pom pom. Hence mis-tress' (with an apostrophe) fits, but mis-tres-s's doesn't. Phew, it's complicated this singing stuff!

Anyway, the song goes on to say that ...July in her eyes hath place. (Why can't they say 'has'?) Then we move to this mistress's bosom. In there, apparently, is September. I'm not really following this, but I'm trying! The last bit of the madrigal says; But in her heart a cold December. What on earth is that about? It doesn't make any sense to me, at all. 'A cold December' does what, exactly?

I can't see how singing is going to be helping my talking practice in any way at all!

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