Come, Celebrate with Joyful Pleasure: SSA, a cappella Choral Octavo

Liebergen's hand is remarkably light here; he captures the playful character of Arcadelt's original while making it genuinely singable for modern choirs without prettifying or flattening the Renaissance idiom. The optional instrumentation gives you flexibility to perform this either as a pure a cappella number or with gentle reinforcement, and the moderate ranges mean you're not limiting your casting.

Elegant and spirited, with the intimacy of a Renaissance gathering translated for today's singers. The piece dances without pretense, inviting singers and listeners into a moment of genuine musical pleasure that feels both refined and approachable.

SSA choirs at the intermediate level who are ready to engage with Renaissance repertoire but need accessible ranges and contemporary preparation. This also works well for choirs building confidence with madrigal style before tackling more complex polyphonic works.

• Lean into the text underlay and rhythmic clarity of the chanson form; these singers should feel the dance-like pulse beneath what may initially seem like flowing lines.
• If adding the hand drum, keep it conversational rather than emphatic; it should color the texture, not drive it.
• Shape phrases by listening to the interplay between voice parts rather than treating each line as independent; the madrigal tradition thrives on vertical awareness.

Program this alongside other secular repertoire from your season to provide stylistic variety or use it as an accessible entry point into madrigal repertoire during a concert devoted to Renaissance masters. The optional instrumentation also makes it flexible enough to slot into holiday programs that welcome non-religious secular music alongside seasonal pieces.

• Renaissance text underlay and pronunciation in English
• Madrigal style and transparent voice leading
• Rhythmic independence within a polyphonic texture
• Optional: coordination with light percussion accompaniment