Robert Lucas Pearsall, born near Bristol, devoted himself to music relatively late in life. Vocal music stood at the center of his output; besides Latin sacred choral pieces he composed, in the development of the Renaissance madrigalesque style, numerous works in this genre for the Bristol Madrigal Society which he co-founded. Lay a Garland is one of these madrigals. Melodies that merge artistically into each other create, in combination with the harmonic achievements of the 19th century, a colorful blend that results in new sound effects time after time. Justifiably so, this madrigal is considered the apex of Pearsall's compositional œuvre.