The Silver Swan (madrigal)

"The Silver Swan" is a madrigal by Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625), composed during the early Baroque period. Gibbons's best-known song and among the most admired English madrigals, it is scored for five voices—cantus, quintus, alto, tenor and bass. The piece opens his First Set of Madrigals and Motets of 5 parts, published in London by Thomas Snodham in 1612 with support from the composer's patron Christopher Hatton.

The musical counterpoint is largely conservative, more akin to Gibbons's esteemed elder contemporary William Byrd than his progressive English Madrigal School contemporaries. An exception to this conservatism occurs when an augmented fifth chord, including a dissonance that is left unprepared, is dramatically used on the word "death" to achieve a special text painting effect.

A swan song, the madrigal's poetic text presents the legend that swans are silent in life and sing beautifully once just before their deaths. The poem's author is unknown, with Hatton or Gibbons himself variously suggested; it may be inspired by an earlier Italian model. The text has since been set separately by a variety of composers from the 20th and 21st centuries, including Lori Laitman (2007), Ned Rorem (1949), and Eric Thiman (date unknown).