A second musical entertainment performed on St. Cecilia's day. November XXII. 1684 The words by ... Mr. John Oldham ... Set to music by Dr. John Blow .... |
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 | A second musical entertainment performed on St. Cecilia's day. November XXII. 1684 |  |
To the present Stewards, WILLIAM BRIDGMAN, Esq; Dr. NICHOLAS STAGGINS, GILBERT DOLBEN, Esq; Mr. FRANCIS FORCER; And to the rest of the GENTLEMEN OF THE Musical Society: THE Following Musical Compositions are dedicated
By JOHN BLOW.
FOR An Anniversary of Musick KEPT UPON St. Cecilia's day.
I
Begin the Song! your Instruments advance!Tune the Voice, and tune the Flute;
Touch the silent, sleeping Lute,
And make the Strings to their own Measures dance.
Bring gentlest Thoughts, that into Language glide,
Bring softest Words, that into Numbers slide:
Let every Hand, let every Tongue,
To make the noble Consort, throng;
Let all in one harmonious Note agree,
To frame the mighty Song,
For this is Music's sacred Jubilee.
II
Hark! how the waken'd Strings resound,And sweetly break the yielding Air!
The ravish'd Sence, how pleasingly they wound,
And call the list'ning Soul into the Ear!
Each Pulse beats Time, and every Heart
With Tongue and Fingers bears a part.
By Harmony's entrancing Power,
When we are thus wound up to Extasy,
Methinks we mount, methinks we tow'r,
And seem to leave Mortality,
And seem to antedate our future Bliss on high!
III
How dull were Life, how hardly worth our Care,But for the Charms which Music lends!
How pall'd its Pleasures would appear,
But for the Pleasure which our Art attends!
Without the Sweets of Melody,
To tune our Vital Breath,
Who would not give it up to Death,
And in the silent Grave contented lye?
IV
Music's the Cordial of a troubled Breast,The softest Remedy that Grief can find;
The gentle Spell, that charms our Cares to rest,
And calms the ruffling Passions of the Mind:
'Tis that gives Relish to our Wine,
'Tis that gives Rapture to our Love;
It wings Devotion to a pitch Divine,
'Tis our chief Bliss on Earth, and half our Heav'n above.
Chorus.
Come then with tuneful Breath, and String,The Praises of our Art let's sing;
Let's sing to blest Cecilia's Fame,
That grac'd this Art, and gave this Day its Name:
While Music, Wine, and Mirth conspire
To bear a Consort, and make up the Quire.
| A second musical entertainment performed on St. Cecilia's day. November XXII. 1684 | |