Come fido animal

Philippe de Monte's Come fido animal is a secular Italian madrigal for SAATB voices. It describes a lover's plight, comparing himself to a faithful animal that, now out of favour with its master, flees and returns in turn. He laments that his beloved is deaf to his pleas for mercy, forcing him to seek solace elsewhere, hungry and alone, lest he perish. This five-voice setting masterfully captures the text's emotional ebb and flow, making it an engaging choice for a consort of voices seeking to explore the expressive possibilities of Renaissance part-music.