Rutter’s music captures the varied moods of Shakespeare’s words, with their rapture, sorrow, humour, and vitality, in a way that makes these classic madrigal texts come alive for contemporary audiences. These pieces may be performed individually or as a five-movement suite.
It was a lover and his lass, My true love hath my heart, and When daisies pied are also published for upper voices and keyboard as Three Birthday Madrigals.