This edition was prepared by Diana Thompson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Come, Shepherds, sing with me
Staff Notation • Secular, Madrigals
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Come, Shepherds, sing with me by Thomas Tomkins — Lyrics
Come, shepherds, sing with me
Thrice happy might we be
If we should never see
Love and his misery.
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About Come, Shepherds, sing with me
Thomas Tomkins was one of the last great masters of the English madrigal tradition. His secular part-music often explored the complexities of love and human emotion, and this piece is no exception. Written for SSATB voices, Come, Shepherds, sing with me presents a text that initially revels in pastoral joy, inviting shepherds to sing together. However, the mood quickly shifts as the lyrics lament the pain and misery associated with love. The singers declare their newfound hatred for love's 'lore', vowing to abandon 'false love' and never be ensnared by it again. Tomkins captures this emotional journey with a skill that typifies his mastery of the madrigal form.
