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ductions will be a favourable comparison with the best of them. 
In the brief glance we shall take of the growth of our modern 
music, it will be convenient to make three divisions :— 
1. The Madrigal period. 
2. The Ballad period. 
3. The Opera and Glee period. 
As to the Madrigal, it is not easy to give a good definition of 
it; and the derivation of the word has been hotly contested. The 
most probable is “‘ 4a Madre,” the first line of hymns addressed 
to the Virgin Mary, but afterwards to the “ A/adre galante,”. or 
Queen of Love. The name at first applied to the words would be 
easily transferred to the music. This form of composition was in- 
_vented by the Flemings in the middle of the 14th century, and was 
adopted and perfected by the Italians and English. It was composed 
for three or more voices, often five, and usually consists of a simple 
melody, broadly harmonized; but there are many varieties, varying 
from the style of the motett to that of the more modern glee. 
I can give you a definition or description, by Thomas Morley, 
_ an eminent composer of them. “No point is to be long stayed 
upon, but once or twice driven through all the parts, and sometimes 
_ inverted, and so to the close, and then taking another. And that 
kind of handling of points is most esteemed when two parts go one 
: way and two another, and mostly in roths and 3rds. Likewise 
the more variety of points be showed, the more the Madrigal is 
esteemed; and, withal, you must bring in fine bindings (i. e. 
syncopations), and strange closes, as your ditty shall move you.” 
Taking it for granted that you zow have a clear notion of what 
a Madrigal is, we will take as a specimen a very simple but 
beautiful one by Edwardes, “In going to my lonely bed.” The 
Madrigals which I have selected belong to the later period, when 
they were gradually merging into the glee: the earlier ones are far 
- more elaborate, constructed on the strictest principles of harmony, 
with skilful embellishments of counter-point. Many differ little 
from the AZotete. 
The best Madrigals were composed during the reign of 
Elizabeth. Between 1594 and 1599—only five years—books of 
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