a madrigal on Sonnet VIII of William Shakespeare
for mixed chorus a cappella

Publication

Musick to Heare is published by Swirly Music, Catalog No. SWM-104.

ISBN: 978-1-941358-03-0

Program Notes

Musick to Heare was composed in 2006. It is written for a cappella SATB chorus with infrequent divisi in each of the parts (up to SSAATTBB at some points in the piece).

Sonnet VIII.

Music to hear, why hearest thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy.
Why lovest thou that which thou receivest not gladly,
Or else receivest with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering,
Resembling sire and child and happy mother
Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing:
Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: ‘thou single wilt prove none.’

— William Shakespeare