This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Gather ye Rose-buds
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Gather ye Rose-buds by Henry Charles Banister — Lyrics
To the Virgins, to make much of Time
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still aflying:
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he’s agetting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he’s to setting.
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About Gather ye Rose-buds
Henry Charles Banister composed this setting of Robert Herrick's famous poem 'To the Virgins, to make much of Time'. The text is a secular, Renaissance-style meditation on the transience of youth and beauty, urging listeners to seize the moment. Banister's SATB arrangement captures the poem's gentle melancholy and carpe diem message. The English lyrics speak directly to the fleeting nature of time and the importance of making the most of life's opportunities. This partsong is a thoughtful and expressive setting of a classic English poem.
