Could he, whom my dissembled rigour grieves (William Jackson of Exeter)
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- (Posted 2022-04-01) CPDL #68670:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-04-01). Score information: A4, 7 pages, 525 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.
General Information
Title: Could he, whom my dissembled rigour grieves
Composer: William Jackson of Exeter
Lyricist: Sir Samuel Garthcreate page
Number of voices: 3vv Voicing: ATB
Genre: Secular, Glee
Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo
First published: 1762 Elegies Op. 3
Description: In his frontispiece, Jackson specified performance in the following terms: "I would just observe, that the following pieces will lose their effect, when the parts are doubled. The manner of performance that I would recommend, is by three voices singing moderately soft, and accompanied with any bass instrument that may have the effect of an accompaniment only; for nothing hurts a piece so much, as making a part principal, or even equal with others, when it was intended to be subservient. The equality of strength among the voices should also be observed; if one voice of the three be strong, and the others weak, it is necessary to soften it down, that the balance may not be destroyed; for it should always be remembered, that as no principal part was intended, there must be none produced".
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Could he, whom my dissembled rigour grieves,
But know what torment to my soul it gives;
He'd find how fondly I'd return his flame,
And want myself the pity he would claim.
Unhappy partner of my killing pain,
Think what I feel the moment you complain.
Each sigh you utter wounds my tend'rest part,
So much my words misrepresent my heart.
When from your eyes the falling drops distil,
My vital blood in ev'ry tear you spill:
And all those mournful agonies I hear
Are but the echoes of my own despair.