Dieu vous gard

Jacob Buus's Dieu vous garde is a secular French chanson for six voices (soprano, alto, tenor, tenor, tenor, tenor). The text paints a tender scene, with the singer asking God to protect his beautiful and charming beloved, who is expecting a child. The words are perhaps a little playful, suggesting the lady might claim her pregnancy is a toothache to avoid admitting the truth. Buus, a composer of the late Renaissance, sets this charming text with a rich, imitative polyphony characteristic of the chanson style of his time. The six parts provide a full texture, ideal for a skilled choir looking for expressive and engaging repertoire.