This edition was prepared by David Cameron — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Hail, bright Cecilia Z. 328
Staff Notation • Secular, Cantatas, Odes
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11 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Hail, bright Cecilia Z. 328 by Henry Purcell — Lyrics
#3
Hark! hark! each Tree its silence breaks;
the Box and Firr to talk begin;
Hark! this in the sprightly Violin,
That in the Flute distinctly speaks;
This in the Sprightly Violin distinctly speaks;
'Twas Sympathy their list'ning Brethren drew;
When to the Thracian Lyre with leafy wings they flew.
#4
"Tis Natures voice, thro' all the moving wood,
of creatures understood:
the universal tongue, to none
of all her num'rous race unknown.
From her it learnt the mighty art,
to court the ear, or strike the heart;
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About Hail, bright Cecilia Z. 328
Composed to celebrate St Cecilia, patron saint of music, this ode by Henry Purcell imagines a world where nature itself is animated by song. The text extols the power of music, how it can express and move the passions, capturing the listener's imagination. In this section, the composer depicts the trees and plants beginning to speak, their voices distinct, drawn to the Thracian lyre, the mythical instrument of Orpheus. The music then expands to encompass all of nature, a universal tongue understood by every creature. This setting for SATB voices and English text is a vibrant example of Purcell's mastery in capturing poetic imagery through sound.
