Cantus of Thomas Morley the First book of balletts to fiue voyces by Thomas Morley
This month’s featured text is Cantus Of Thomas Morley the first booke of balletts to fiue voyces. Thomas Morley (1557-1602) is known as one of the foremost writers of the "English Madrigal," a form of derived from the Italian madrigals of the earlier sixteenth century. Morley was a student of William Byrd (another famous composer of the sixteenth century). Morley was an organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in 1589 and by 1592 became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. The First Book of Five Balletts published in 1595 is but one of Morley's many musical publications, including The Canzonets for five and six voices (1697), and more famously, Triumphs of Oriana (1601) dedicated to Elizabeth I. He also wrote A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practical Music (1597), a manual about singing and composing which he dedicated to his teacher William Byrd. Among Morley's most famous English madrigals are Sing We and Chant it, April is in My Mistris Face, Now is the Month of Maying. He also composed a solo piece entitled It was a lover and his lasse which appeared in William Shakespeare's Comedy As you like it. Morley was also involved in the printing of music and in 1596 received a monopoly from Queen Elizabeth I for the printing and selling of music "from foreign sources."

Thomas Morley's compositions represent an important trend in English music. They are a departure from the Italian madrigal of the earlier sixteenth century, yet the English madrigal clearly has its origins in the Italian style. This adaptation of a foreign style also demonstrates how cultural trends from Europe were imported into England. Italian forms of architecture, art, drama, and music had spread throughout Europe and the work of both Thomas Morley and William Byrd demonstrates how Italian forms of music were imported into England. Additionally, the English madrigal style departed from the more traditional liturgical style which was often rather monotonous. In A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practical Music Morley wrote, "If therefore you will compose in this kind you must possess yourself with an amorous humour. . . ." meaning more emotional and more poetic style than previous times. In all, the English madrigal, represented by one of its most famous composers, Thomas Morley, shows how the "rebirth" of the English Renaissance extended not only to literature but to many other forms as well, including music.

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