My bonny lass she smileth is a famous English ballett, written by

Thomas Morley Thomas Morley (1557 – early October 1602) was an English composer, theorist, singer and organist of the Renaissance. He was one of the foremost members of the English Madrigal School. Referring to the strong Italian influence on the Engl ...

and published in 1595 in his ''First Book of Balletts to Five Voices''. A ballett was the English form of the Italian balletto, a light, homophonic, strophic song for three or more singers, distinguished by dance-like rhythms and "fa-la-la" refrains. It is based on an Italian madrigal, published by Gastoldi in 1591 (see ref 1 and supporting recording). The ChoralWiki gives the following words for the two opening verses. :My bonny lass she smileth, :when she my heart beguileth. :Fa la la la... :Smile less, dear love, therefore, :and you shall love me more. :Fa la la la... The song was parodied by

Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...

(https://www.schickele.com/composition/twomadrigals.htm) (writing as

P.D.Q. Bach P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by the American musical satirist Peter Schickele, who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines ...

) as: :My bonny lass she smelleth :Making the flowers jealouth. :Fa la la la... The ballett is of form AABB and is in mode 7, the Mixolydian.

References

Phillip Ledger (ed) ''

The Oxford Book of English Madrigals ''The Oxford Book of English Madrigals'' was edited by Philip Ledger, and published in 1978 by the Oxford University Press. It contains words and full music for some 60 of the madrigals and songs of the English Madrigal School. When selecting ...

'' (1978) Oxford University Press, and co-issued recording, by

Pro Cantione Antiqua Pro Cantione Antiqua of London (PCA) is a British choral group which was founded in 1968 by tenor James Griffett, counter-tenor Paul Esswood, and conductor and producer Mark Brown. Their first concert was at St Bartholomew's, Smithfield with Bri ...

English madrigals Compositions by Thomas Morley {{song-stub