“Mignonne allons voir si la rose…” is one of the most liked Pierre de Ronsard’s poems. Musicians of the 15th century created many polyphonic versions for one to five mixed voices. Pierre Cléreau’s version is sober and syllabic for three equal voices. Guillaume Costeley’s version for four mixed voices (ref. ACJ 696) is the most famous and the most sung. It was arranged for three equal voices in order to be sung by more types of singers. The light and balanced aspects of the song have to be respected. The melody holds the strong poetic aspect. This song was added to the collection “Les Amours” in 1553.
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