Hastez vous

Thomas Crecquillon was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, active in the mid-16th century. His chansons, like this one, were popular secular part-songs for their time. Hastez vous is written for three voices (SAT) in French. The text pleads for mercy, urging the beloved not to be cruel. It expresses a sense of urgency, asking for swift forgiveness before the singer's affection fades, in which case their beauty will be commended to God. Crecquillon’s setting likely reflects the lyrical and emotional content of this plea, characteristic of the chanson genre.