Spring, the Sweet Spring
Radix Women's Vocal Ensemble
Words Are For the Birds: Songs Without Words, and Songs About Birds
Eliot Chapel, First Unitarian Church - Portland, OR
December 9, 2023
Radix Vocal Ensemble: Helen Allen, JD Carter, Naama Friedman, Emily Gimba, Keely Gvakharia, Iris Mairead, Mhari Scott, Mila Trank-Greene, Devon Webster & Quinlyn Wright
Amy Stuart Hunn, director
Paul Flyger, piano
Spring, the Sweet Spring
Music by Ēriks Ešenvalds (b.1977)
Lyrics by Thomas Nashe (1567-1601)
Spring, the sweet spring, is the year's pleasant king,
Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,
And cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing:
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!
The palm and may make country houses gay,
Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pipe all day,
And we hear aye birds tune this merry lay:
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!
The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet,
Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit,
In every street these tunes our ears do greet:
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!