Revecy venir du Printemps - The New Swingle Singers

by Claude Le Jeune, 1528-1600

from early 80s

i hadn't listened to this for some 20 years, and recently, decided to share some of my eclectic audio collection on YouTube...get chills listening again to this group.

boy, these guys are good...superb blend and intonation...chords just resonate wonderfully without electronic reverb...

and of course, their hallmark...precise diction...such polished performers, i'm re-discovering how amazing they really were.

BackRowL2R: Ward Swingle(T), Michael Dore(B), Kym Amps(S)

FrontRowL2R: Sue Bickley((A), Carol Canning(A), Simon Grant(B), Olive Simpson(S), Philip Sheffield(T)

Refrain: Revecy venir du Printans.
L'amoureuz' et belle saizon.

Le courant des eaus recherchant,
Le canal d'été s'éclaircît:
Et lamer calme de ces flots,
Amolit le triste courrous:
Le Canard s'égay' se plonjant,
Et se lave coint dedans l'eau
Et la grû' qui fourche son voi,
Retraverse l'air et s'en va.

(Refrain)

Le Soleil éclaire luizant,
D'une plus sereine clairté:
Du nuage l'ombre s'enfuit,
Qui se ioû' et court et noircît
Et foretz et champs et coutaus,
Le labeur humain reverdît,
Et la prê' decouvre ses fleurs.

(Refrain)

De Venus le filz cupidon,
L'univers semant de ses trais,
De sa flamme va réchaufér.
Animaus, qui volet en l'air,
Animaus, qui rampet au chams
Animaus, qui naget auz eaus.
Ce qui mesmement ne sent pas,
Amoureux se fond de plaizir.

(Refrain)

Rion aussi nous: et cherchon
Les ébas et ieus du Printans
Toute chose rit de plaizir:
Sélebron la gaye saizon,

(Refrain)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Revoicy
• Revecy
• Swingle

[Trelawny333]

Omega, you might have the recording that I do. It's on a Swingle Singers promotional LP of madrigals. The singers are so much better, more delicate and it's slower.

[omega125th]

i think you are referring to 'Madrigals and Madriguys' by Swingle II(2)

Ward later described that recording as 'rather wimpy sounds'...due to singers not having the mic techniques of the original.

the other recording, of which i's referring, is still from New Swingle Singers(again early 80s), w alto Lindsay John, Tenor Alan Byers and Bass Lindsay Benson being different from the personnel in this performance...either way, both versions of NSS are delightful to listen to

[Kadylyn]

gorgeous and so clean

[omega125th]

i agree...i have another recording w more talented personnel?(save Sue Bickley), well, different sounding anyway...but alas the recording is poor(noise and sound drop-outs)...if interested, i can post it

[dwf56]

Merci beaucoup!! Merveilleux!!

[guadalajara4848]

MARVELOUS !!!

[looterish]

@MusicMeritage

It doesn't seem too fast to my ears, but then I personally tend to favor a brisk tempo in most madrigals, chansons etc. As to interpretation, I agree it sounds a bit glassy. Maybe they had a particular reason to sing it that way. Didn't someone mention that it was used in a promotional capacity?

[MusicMeritage]

Does anyone else find this interpretation a little cheesy and more than a little bit too fast?

[cheraquicecile]

Superbe version !

[Musica1953]

Thanks for posting this. I first became "aware" this lovely chanson on a "SS" album from the mid '70's. It was accompanied in a light-ish "pop" style by an electric piano and brushes. Is this the same LP you are discussing? Could we talk some more?

[Trelawny333]

Yes, that's the LP. I just converted my copy to digital. I'm sure WS is a technical perfectionist. I have an LP of the original SS (I'm in the process of converting).

I'm a lover of 14-15th century music. There was a recently released recording of John Dowland that was bashed by Dowland purists... but is incredibily beautiful. It's all so subjective. Thanks for replying.

[PolytheneHam]

Hello! I really appreciate your Swingle Singers upload! I would be very much interested to hear the other recording of this. I don't care about the quality, just as long as I can hear how they sound in that recording. :)