- Lay a garland
"Lay a garland" is a popular English madrigal composition in Emusic|flat major. It was written by
Robert Lucas de Pearsall on 4 June 1840Cite book|title=Madrigals and Partsongs|isbn=0-19-343694-9|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=pp. 375|] and is scored for twosoprano s, twoalto s, twotenor s and two basses or as it is more commonly written SSAATTBB. The piece is based on a poem from the the play a "The Maid's Tragedy " written in 1608-11. It has been recorded by many choirs includingCambridge Singers , [Cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/English-Madrigals-Songs/dp/B000001446/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207039456&sr=1-8|title=Cambridge Singers - A Cappella|date= 2008-01-04|publisher=Amazon] Oxford Camerata [Cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/English-Madrigals-Songs/dp/B000001446/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207039456&sr=1-8|title=English Madrigals and Songs CD|date= 2008-01-04|publisher=Amazon] and Coro [Cite web|url=http://www.dal-segno.com/DSPRCD600.html|title=The Lover's Ghost CD|date= 2008-01-04|publisher=Dal Segno Records] and also been performed by notable choirs, such asBYU Singers [Cite web|url=http://singers.byu.edu/repertoirecomposer.html|title=BYU Repertoire by Composer|date= 2008-01-04|publisher=BYU Singers] .Words
The text is taken from the song in Beaumont and Fletcher's play "
The Maid's Tragedy " Act II, Scene I. [Cite web|url=http://www.people.ex.ac.uk/pellison/BF/tragedy/a2s1.htm|title=The Maid's Tragedy, Act 2 Scene 1|date= 2008-03-31|publisher=Paul Ellison] . The song is sung by Aspasia where her betrothed is forced into amarriage of convenience to the king's mistress. The words original words are as follows:Cite web|url=http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Lay_a_garland_(Robert_Lucas_Pearsall)|title=Lay a Garland|date= 2008-03-31|publisher=CPDL]Lay a garland on my hearseof theref label|Removed|I| dismal yew.Maidens, willow branches wear, say I died true. My love was false, but I was firmfrom my hour of birth.ref label|Removed|I|.Upon my buried body lielightly, gentle earth.
However Pearsall's music is set to these adapted words changed from first to third person
Lay a garland on her hearseof dismal yew.Maidens, willow branches wear, say she died true. Her love was false, but she was firmUpon her buried body lielightly, thouref label|Added|II| gentle earth.
:I: These words were present in the original poem by Beaumont and Fletcher but omitted in the composition:II: Word was added to the into the composition.Recordings
References
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