My Madrigal Challenge

To be honest, I can't read notes on my own. I'd need a keyboard or a piano or a MIDI or an NWC File in order for me to learn a song. While I was still in the choir, this has been quite a struggle especially if the choral piece that we're learning is a Madrigal. To know more about Madrigals, you may go to this webpage: Music from the Renaissance and Baroque.

I've heard that if a choir can sing a Madrigal with all the necessary emotions, counterpoints, and word painting, then the choir can sing any kind of choral music--from classics to modern down to contemporary and avant-garde choral pieces.

One of the first Madrigals I've learned--with so much difficulty that is--is Thomas Vautor's "Sweet Suffolk Owl." Glancing at the musical score, I was completely lost in its counterpoints and the right timing as to when the line begins and ends. Incidentally, almost everyone in the choir was having difficulty with the piece--not all of us read notes either. But being determined to learn how to sing it, I resorted to listening to how other choirs sing it. My choirmaster appreciated the effort, but warned me not to completely copy another choir's style and interpretation. The latter is what mainly differentiates one choir from another even if they sing the same choral piece.

As I searched in YouTube for renditions of the song, I realized that choirs sing this piece in various tempos from as fast as a minute and 44 seconds to as slow as two minutes and 32 seconds. Among these choirs, I chose the group that sang the song in just a little over two minutes. For me, it's not too fast and not too slow. Also, I like the way the choir's voices blended and each lines presenting a counterpoint without completely overpowering one voice over the other. Although the words aren't that clear, I can say that this is one of the renditions of "Sweet Suffolk Owl" that I really like. I shall post the words of the song here for your reference.

Sweet Suffolk owl, so trimly dight

With feathers, like a lady bright;

Thou sing'st alone, sitting by night,

'Te whit! Te whoo!'

Thy note that forth so freely rolls

With shrill command the mouse controls;

And sings a dirge for dying souls.

'Te whit! Te whoo!' 

Whilst listening to this choral piece on tape (yes, that was a long time ago!), I merely wanted to make sense of the notes I see on paper. You may think it's cheating because I don't read notes. With the many resources at our disposal, I'd say it would be best to take advantage of the opportunities that we have. Besides, it's because of this experience with singing "Sweet Suffolk Owl" that I truly appreciated learning to sing a Madrigal.