# The Oxford Book of English Madrigals

The Oxford Book of English Madrigals was edited by Philip Ledger, and published in 1978 by the Oxford University Press. It contains words and full music for some 60 of the madrigals and songs of the English Madrigal School.
When selecting works for this book, Ledger decided to represent the major composers of 16th-century English music such as William Byrd and Thomas Morley with several madrigals, alongside individual works by lesser-known composers. Ledger collaborated with Andrew Parker, a musicologist from King's College, Cambridge, who researched texts to the songs and supplemented the collection with annotations and critical commentary.
In 1978, the choral group Pro Cantione Antiqua released a recording, directed by Ledger, of selected songs from this book.

## Contents

The collection contains the following madrigals:
| Composer | Madrigal |
| Thomas Bateson | Those sweet delightful lilies |
| John Bennet | All creatures now |
| John Bennet | Weep, O mine eyes |
| William Byrd | Lullaby, my sweet little baby |
| William Byrd | This sweet and merry month of May |
| William Byrd | Though Amaryllis dance |
| Michael Cavendish | Come, gentle swains |
| Michael East | Poor is the life |
| Michael East | Quick, quick, away, dispatch! |
| Michael East | (*No haste, but good!) |
| John Farmer | Fair nymphs, I heard one telling |
| John Farmer | Fair Phyllis I saw |
| Giles Farnaby | Consture my meaning |
| Orlando Gibbons | Ah, dear heart |
| Orlando Gibbons | Dainty fine bird |
| Orlando Gibbons | Oh that the learned poets |
| Orlando Gibbons | The Silver Swan |
| Orlando Gibbons | Trust not too much, fair youth |
| Orlando Gibbons | What is our life? |
| Thomas Greaves | Come away sweet love |
| George Kirbye | See what a maze of error |
| Thomas Morley | April is in my mistress' face |
| Thomas Morley | Fyer, fyer! |
| Thomas Morley | Hard by a crystal fountain |
| Thomas Morley | I love, alas, I love thee |
| Thomas Morley | Leave, alas, this tormenting |
| Thomas Morley | My bonny lass she smileth |
| Thomas Morley | Now is the month of maying |
| Thomas Morley | Sing we and chant it |
| Thomas Morley | Though Philomela lost her love |
| Thomas Morley | Whither away so fast |
| Robert Ramsey | Sleep, fleshly birth |
| Thomas Tomkins | Adieu, ye city-prisoning towers |
| Thomas Tomkins | Music divine |
| Thomas Tomkins | Oh yes, has any found a lad? |
| Thomas Tomkins | See, see the shepherds' queen |
| Thomas Tomkins | Too much I once lamented |
| Thomas Vautor | Mother, I will have a husband |
| Thomas Vautor | Sweet Suffolk owl |
| John Ward | Come sable night |
| John Ward | Out from the vale |
| Thomas Weelkes | As Vesta was |
| Thomas Weelkes | Come, sirrah Jack, ho! |
| Thomas Weelkes | Hark, all ye lovely saints |
| Thomas Weelkes | O care, thou wilt despatch me |
| Thomas Weelkes | (*Hence care, thou art too cruel) |
| Thomas Weelkes | Since Robin Hood |
| Thomas Weelkes | Sing we at pleasure |
| Thomas Weelkes | Strike it up, tabor |
| Thomas Weelkes | Thule, the period of cosmography |
| Thomas Weelkes | (*The Andalusian merchant) |
| Thomas Weelkes | Thus sings my dearest jewel |
| John Wilbye | Adieu, sweet Amaryllis |
| John Wilbye | Draw on, sweet night |
| John Wilbye | Flora gave me fairest flowers |
| John Wilbye | Lady, when I behold |
| John Wilbye | O what shall I do |
| John Wilbye | Sweet honey-sucking bees |
| John Wilbye | (*Yet, sweet, take heed) |
| John Wilbye | Weep, weep, mine eyes |
(*) = second parts