Hark, jolly shepherds

Thomas Morley’s Hark, jolly shepherds is a four-part madrigal for SSAT voices. It opens with imitative entries, the shepherds’ call being passed between the upper voices before the lower voices enter, creating a rich texture. The text expresses the joy of a summer’s day, with ringing bells and merriment in the countryside. The composer captures this mood with energetic rhythms and lively word painting, particularly in the depiction of the bells dancing and the echoing woods. It is a secular piece, typical of the English madrigal tradition of the late sixteenth century, celebrating pastoral scenes and human pleasure.