Best Morley
"Now Is the Month of Maying" is a five-part English ballett by Thomas Morley, published in his First Book of Balletts to Five Voyces in 1595. Its text celebrates springtime dancing and courtship, while its repeated "fa la la" refrain reflects the light, dance-derived character of the ballett form. W...
"April Is in My Mistress' Face" is a secular four-part madrigal by the English composer Thomas Morley, published in his First Book of Madrigals to Four Voices in 1594. Its brief text maps the seasons onto a woman's changing appearance: April in her face, July in her eyes, September in her breast, an...
"My bonnie lass she smileth" is a five-voice ballett by English Renaissance composer Thomas Morley, published in his First Book of Balletts to Five Voyces in 1595. Its light secular text, clear rhythmic profile, repeated sections, and characteristic "fa la la" refrains reflect the influence of the I...
Thomas Morley’s “Now is the Month of Maying” is a Renaissance madrigal for five voices, composed around 1595. This piece, part of his First Book of Ballets, captures the spirit of spring through its energetic rhythm and characteristic ‘fa-la’ melody. It was intended for performance in courtly settin...
A lively canzonet by Morley depicting the burning passion of love, characteristic of his playful, lighter style and his role in popularizing Italian forms in England.
Sweet Nymph, Come to Thy Lover is a secular vocal work by the English Renaissance composer Thomas Morley. It appeared in Morley's Canzonets to Three Voices, published in 1593, and reflects his adaptation of the light, concise Italian canzonetta tradition to English-language poetry. Written for three...
Expressive lament madrigal by Thomas Morley, reflecting the serious side of the English composer best known for his lighter canzonets and ballets of the 1590s.
'Hark, Alleluia' is a sacred vocal piece by Thomas Morley (1557–1602), an English Renaissance composer also celebrated for editing the royal tribute anthology The Triumphes of Oriana.
"April Is in My Mistress' Face" is a four-voice madrigal composed by the English composer Thomas Morley. Published in 1594, it is one of the most recognizable examples of the Italian madrigal style adapted for English audiences during the Renaissance. The piece sets a pastoral poem about a woman who...
"My Bonny Lass She Smileth" is an English ballett composed by Thomas Morley, published in his "First Book of Balletts" in 1595. As a prominent example of the English madrigal style, the piece features the characteristic nonsense syllables, specifically the "fa-la" refrain, that define the ballett ge...
'Lady, those cherries plenty' is a canzonet by Thomas Morley (1557–1602), an English composer whose lighter vocal works were central to popularizing the Italian style in England.
"Hard by a Crystal Fountain" is an English madrigal for six voices by Thomas Morley, composed for the 1601 anthology The Triumphs of Oriana, a collection of 25 madrigals by various composers honoring Queen Elizabeth I. The text depicts pastoral imagery and concludes with the standard refrain "Then s...
Light pastoral madrigal by Thomas Morley, one of several playful pieces by the English composer whose publications in the 1590s helped popularize the English madrigal form.
“Sing We and Chant It” is an English ballett by Thomas Morley, published in his First Book of Balletts to Five Voyces in 1595. Adapted from the Italian ballett tradition, it uses a light secular text, regular dance-like rhythms, repeated sections, and characteristic “fa-la-la” refrains. The piece is...
“Fire, Fire” is an English madrigal by Thomas Morley that treats the conventional Renaissance image of love as a consuming flame. Its short exclamations and amorous language are reflected in animated imitation, quick exchanges among the voices, and shifts between contrapuntal and more chordal textur...
Mother Goose is a traditional British pantomime script written by John Morley, widely published and performed by amateur dramatic societies throughout the United Kingdom.
"O Grief, Even on the Bud" is a lament madrigal by Thomas Morley, standing apart from his typically light-hearted output as a more serious and expressively austere vocal work.
Sleeping Beauty is a theatrical pantomime script authored by John Morley, designed specifically to provide amateur theater groups with a traditional Christmas show format.
Puss in Boots is a widely performed British pantomime script by John Morley, known for providing a standardized theatrical adaptation of the famous fairy tale.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a pantomime script written by John Morley, offering theaters a traditional, published adaptation of the classic children's story.
Babes in the Wood is a classic British pantomime script by John Morley, notable for being a widely licensed text that adapts the traditional English folktale for the stage.
