The Good-morrow which was written in 1971 is a setting for mezzo-soprano and piano of five poems by John Donne. These are not songs in the closed sense: the settings deliberately blur one poem into the next so as to form a little musical drama about a passionate but light-hearted love-affair. The model for this piece was the beautiful song-cycle The voice of love (1966) by Nicholas Maw who was my teacher from 1968 until 1971 and whose influence upon my development was both strong and fruitful. My debt to Maw (who died in 2009) is great and this song-cycle was my grateful acknowledgement of it. The Good-morrow was first performed in 1986 at the Purcell Room London by Linda Hibberd and Giles Swayne.1. I wonder by my troth2. 'Tis true 'tis day3. Come live with me and be my love4. So so breake off this last lamenting kiss5. Now thou hast lov'd me one whole day
