1
[This contains five sections, alternately slow and fast. In the first, the strings answer the trumpets and drums antiphonally. The second, marked canzona, is a fugue of two subjects. Then follows an adagio in which the oboes echo the violins, and this leads into an allegro with a fanfare-like subject which gives the trumpets brilliant pportunities for display. A further slow section of harmonic tension is followed by a repeat of the allegro.]
2
Hail! bright Cecilia, fill ev'ry heart
With love of thee and thy celestial art,
That thine, and Music's sacred love
May make the British forest prove
As famous as Dodona's vocal grove.
A solo bass sets the mood with typically florid Purcellian declamation. The choral writing seems a foretaste of Handel in its mixture of the homophonic and the fugal.
3
Hark, each tree its silence breaks,
The box and fir to talk begin,
This in the sprightly violin,
That in the flute distinctly speaks.
'Twas sympathy their list'ning brethren drew,
When to the Thracian lyre with leafy wins they flew.
A duet on a ground-bass between, vocally, soprano and bass, and instrumentally, between recorders and violins ("box and fir" are the woods used in the making of these instruments).
4
'Tis nature's voice, thro' all the wood and creatures understood, the universal tongue, to none of her num'rous race unknown.
From her it learned the mighty art
To court the ear, or strike the heart,
At once the passions to express or move,
We hear, and straight we grieve or hate, rejoice or love.
In unseen chains it does the fancy bind.
At once it charms the sense and captivates the mind.
This was sung at the first performance "with incredible graces by Mr. Purcell himself." It is a magnificent example of Purcell's mastery of the florid graces recitative style.
5
Soul of the world, inspired by thee,
The jarring seeds of matter did agree.
Thou didst the scattered atoms bind
Which by the laws of true proportion joined,
Made up of various parts, one perfect harmony.
This is remarkable for its spacious opening, on a pedal-point, and for the tremolando employed at the words "the jarring seeds of matter." Purcell had previously used this effect vocally in the Frost Scene in King Arthur and had borrowed it from Lully's "Choeur des Trembleurs."
6
Thou tun'st this world below, the spheres above,
Who in the heavenly round to their own music move.
Here again is a debt to Lully in the triple-time measure and dotted-note rhythm, but Purcell has far surpassed his model in the vigour of his part-writing and daring use of false relations.
7
With that sublime celestial lay can any earthly sounds compare?
If any earthly music dare, the noble organ may.
From heav'n its wondrous notes were giv'n,
Cecilia oft conversed with heav'n.
Some angel of the sacred quire
Did with this breath the pipes inspire,
And of the notes above the just resemblance gave.
Brisk without lightness, without dullness, grave.
8
Wondrous machine, to thee the warbling lute,
Tho' used to conquest, must be forced to yield,
With thee unable to dispute.
These two numbers are in praise of the organ. The first is a florid recitative for three voices, followed by a short triple-time air, while the second is an air on a ground-bass in which the steady pulse provides a foil to the vocal 'divisions.'
9
The airy violin and lofty viol quit the field.
In vain they tune their speaking strings
To court the fair or praise victorious kings.
While all thy consecrated lays
Are to more noble uses bent.
And every grateful note to heav'n repays
The melody it lent.
The accompaniment here is naturally given to two violins and bass, the classic 'trio-sonata' ensemble.
10
In vain the am'rous flute and soft guitar jointly labour
To inspire wanton heat and loose desire,
While thy chaste airs to gently move
Seraphic flames and heav'nly love.
Though Brady describes the instrument in the singular, Purcell's flutes (or rather, recorders) hold forth, like the alto and tenor voices, in dialogue.
11
The fife and all the harmony of war in vain attempt the passions to alarm,
Which thy commanding sounds compose and charm.
Trumpets and. kettledrums answer each other in the opening fanfares and, apart from the basses, the strings are silent throughout.
12
Let these among themselves contest
Which can discharge its single duty best.
Thou summ'st their diff'ring graces all in one,
And art a consort of them all within thyself alone.
This short movement is scored, like a chamber cantata, for the basso continuo instruments alone, designed as a moment of repose before the final chorus.
13
Hail, bright Cecilia, hail to thee!
Great Patroness of us and Harmony!
Who whilst among the quire above
Thou dost thy former skill improve.
14
15
Welcome to all the pleasure that delight,
Of every sense the grateful appetite.
Hail, great assembly of Apollo's race.
Hail to this happy place,
This musical assembly, that seems to be
The Ark of universal harmony.
16
Here the Deities approve,
The God of Music and of Love,
All the talents they have lent you,
All the blessings they have sent you;
Pleased to see what they bestow
Live and thrive so well below.
17
While joys celestial their bright souls invade
To find what great improvements you have made.
18
Then lift up your voices, those organs of nature,
Those charms to the troubled and amorous creature;
The pow'r shall divert us a pleasanter way,
For sorrow and grief
Find from music relief,
And love its soft charms must obey.
Then lift up your voices…
19
20
Beauty, thou scene of Love,
And virtue, thou innocent fire,
Made by the powers above
To temper the heat of desire:
Music, that Fancy employs
In raptures of innocent flame
We offer with lute and with voice
To Cecilia, Cecilia's bright name.
21
In a consort of voices, while instruments play,
With music we celebrate this holy day. Iô Cecilia.