Beware

This striking part-song for SATB and ATTB voices opens with a sense of playful caution. The interplay between the vocal lines immediately establishes a mood that reflects the text's theme of warning against a deceitful maiden. Hatton's setting of this English lyric is full of character, drawing the listener into the cautionary tale. The music vividly illustrates the words, with the repeated refrains of "Take care!" and "Beware!" adding a dramatic emphasis to the unfolding narrative of a young man being beguiled by a seemingly fair but untrustworthy woman. It is a secular piece that relies on effective vocal colour and rhythmic drive to deliver its message.