J'ay de vous voir

Orlando di Lasso's J'ay de vous voir opens with a sense of gentle longing, the SATB voices weaving together with imitative entries. This French chanson is typical of the secular part-music of the Renaissance, its four-part texture allowing for rich harmonic colours. The text, expressed in the vernacular, speaks of a desire so profound that it surpasses that of a prisoner for freedom, a blind man for sight, or a dying man for life. Lasso's setting captures this intensity with elegant melodic lines and a finely-tuned sense of emotional expression, making it an ideal choice for choirs seeking to explore the chansons of this prolific master.