This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Adieu! sweet love, adieu
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Adieu! sweet love, adieu by Thomas Bateson — Lyrics
Adieu! sweet love, adieu, O thus to part
Kills my bleeding heart,
Yet fate alas! will have it so.
Cruel their doom so to decree,
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About Adieu! sweet love, adieu
Thomas Bateson's Adieu! sweet love, adieu is a secular madrigal for SSTB voices. The composer sets a poignant English text exploring the sorrow of parting lovers. The music reflects the text's melancholy, with moments of harmonic poignancy and intricate vocal interplay typical of the genre. Bateson captures the emotional weight of "Kills my bleeding heart" with expressive vocal lines that weave together, creating a rich texture before resolving into the inevitable farewell. This piece offers an opportunity for singers to explore the dramatic arc of separation, culminating in a final, tender "adieu, sweetheart."
