I found this song to be very delightful. It was a light-hearted and a little bit silly, a nice contrast from the sacred themes or the poetic themes. This was fun silly song about a shepherd searching for his love, fair Phyllis. It is a great example of word painting.
This is the text of the song:
Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone
Feeding her flock near to the mountain side.
The shepherds knew not,they knew not whither she was gone
,But after her lover Amyntas hied
,Up and down he wandered
whilst she was missing;
When he found her,
O then they fell a-kissing.
The word painting in this song was very easy to pick out and was almost a little humorous. It begins a solo voice which fits the words "Fair Phyllis I saw her sitting all alone". Then all the voices come in to sing the second line about feeding her flock, to represent the flock.
While she was missing the voices are not together and it sounds slightly chaotic. The most obvious example is when they sing "up and down" over and over again. The melody starts at a higher pitch for the word "up" and then descends for the word "down" At the end when her lover finds her all the voices come together for when "they fell a-kissing".
I thought the song was adorable, lighthearted and fun.
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