“Ma bouche chante, mon coeur pleure” was copied several times in the 16th century. Cornelius Canis’ version is a conventional sestet about love disappointment. It is similar to a text by Johannes Ockeghem “Ma bouche rit et ma pensée pleure.” This version was set to music in a modern way enjoyable for singers. The hemistichs are written in simple imitation motives sung by the different voices. Cornelius Canis laid emphasis on the word “douleur” (pain) being repeated several times by the three voices in nearly homophony.
