This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Cypress
Staff Notation • Sacred
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Barry Johnston
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Cypress by Daniel Read — Lyrics
Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound;
My ears, attend the cry;
"Ye living men, come view the ground
Where you must shortly lie.
"Princes, this clay must be your bed,
In spite of all your towers;
The tall, the wise, the reverend head
Must lie as low as ours!"
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About Cypress
Daniel Read's Cypress paints a stark scene, beginning with a doleful sound from the tombs. The English text directly addresses the listener, urging them to consider their mortality and the inevitable fate of all, from princes to the wise. It questions the complacency of the living, who continue their earthly path towards the grave without preparation. The music, set for SATB choir, aims to stir reflection on this solemn subject, concluding with a hopeful plea for divine grace that promises an ascent to the heavens after earthly life concludes.
