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  • Bach's World
    • 2022-2023 Concerts >
      • Travels with Sebastian
      • The Old Bach Archive
      • Christmas with Bach
      • The Little Organ Book
      • Bachapella
      • Arnstadt & Mülhausen
      • Bach Through the Years
    • 2022-23 Educational Events >
      • High School Art Contest
      • BachTalks
      • Saturday Sings!
    • 2022-23 Virtual Offerings >
      • The Choir Loft >
        • In the Marvelous Month of May - Steve Osborn
      • Repertoire Exploration Projects
    • Tickets
    • Donate today!
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a Singer!
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
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Thule, the Period of Cosmography by Thomas Weelkes
You wouldn't think that a song about love would necessarily mention three volcanoes, the farthest extent of the world, a valuable dye made from insects, and an ocean full of flying fishes, would you?

But there is one precisely as so described. It's called 'Thule, the period of cosmography', by the great madrigalist Thomas Weelkes (1575-1623). And in this song, the progress of love is uneven, to say the least.

In the signal year 1600, Weelkes published his 'Madrigals of 5. and 6. Parts', which includes one of our earlier madrigals, the bellicose and colorful 'Like two proud armies', as well as today's selection. The title of the piece provides a hint that the poem is strange, and so it is. It is built upon the premise that nothing can be stranger (or 'more wondrous') than the love-induced, seemingly mutually exclusive phenomena experienced by our poor protagonist,
whose 'heart with fear doth freeze, with love doth fry'.
(If you were ever a teenager, this may sound familiar to you.)

All of the strange and dramatic wonders of the world mentioned above (and more) are pressed into service in a sort of hydra-headed collection of comparisons, and (as one would expect) Weelkes has a marvelous time finding ways to express each image in musical terms. The piece is wondrous to hear, and absolutely thrilling to sing.

I'm attaching the score, an excellent recording, and a text-translation sheet which includes explanatory footnotes for certain unfamiliar terms and place-names.

If anyone is looking for a poetico-musical project during the pandemic, perhaps a poem could be written vaunting the wondrous features of our own dear Sonoma County, and then said poem could be provided with an apt,
​colorful musical setting. Just an idea--

I hope you like today's madrigal--it's really something.
Click here to download learning materials
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