This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
False Love, Op. 27, No. 2
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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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 · Stuart McIntosh
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False Love, Op. 27, No. 2 by Edward Elgar — Lyrics
Now we hear the Spring's sweet voice
Singing gladly through the world;
Bidding all the earth rejoice.
All is merry in the field,
Flowers grow amidst the grass,
Blossoms blue, red, white they yield.
As I seek my maiden true,
Sings the little lark on high
Fain to send her praises due.
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About False Love, Op. 27, No. 2
Edward Elgar's False Love, Op. 27, No. 2, is a secular SATB partsong for English voices. The music opens with a joyful evocation of spring, setting a scene of natural beauty and birdsong. The initial exuberance, however, quickly gives way to a narrative of heartbreak. The text describes the singer's hopeful search for their beloved, only to discover a rival at their door. The music reflects this shift in mood, moving from celebration to a lament of betrayal. The final verses speak of a solitary dwelling in the forest, away from mocking eyes, expressing the pain of unrequited and false love. Elgar captures the emotional arc of the poem with sensitivity and dramatic contrast.
