Robert Lucas Pearsall

Life

Born: 14 March 1795

Died: 5 August 1856

Biography Robert Lucas Pearsall was born at Clifton Hill, Bristol, into a wealthy Quaker family. His father was an army officer and amateur musician. He was privately educated and practiced as a barrister in Bristol. In 1825, after suffering a stroke, he took his family to live abroad—first to Mainz, then to Karlsruhe (1830), studying mensural notation with the caecilian Caspar Ett (Munich 1832). He sold the family estate in Willsbridge and, in 1842, bought Wartensee Castle, a ruined medieval keep near Rorschach in Switzerland and spent several years restoring it. He remained there until his death. Pearsall was an amateur composer and many of his compositions were not published until after his death. He is best remembered for his part-songs, many of which were madrigals. He also wrote orchestral works, anthems, services, musical treatises, and edited a Catholic hymnal. His extensive writings encompass works on chant, heraldry, and verse translations of Schiller & Goethe. He kept in touch with his home city of Bristol and wrote many pieces for the Bristol Madrigal Society. He also composed poetry, some of which he used for his madrigals, such as ‘Why Do the Roses’ and ‘Why should the cuckoo’s tuneful note’. The particle “de” often spelled in his name is a feature added after his death by his daughter Philippa.

A ms. copy in Pearsall's hand is exhibit A in proposing him as a plausible suspect for the anonymous composer of 'Rossini's Cat Duet'.

View the Wikipedia article on Robert Lucas Pearsall.

Works

Sacred works

Ave verum corpus In dulci jubilo

Pange lingua Salve Regina

Tantum ergo Tu es Petrus

Secular works

Mixed Voices

Adieu! my native shore The bishop of Mentz Caput apri defero A chieftain to the Highlands bound Come let us be merry Down in my garden fair Great God of love How bright in the Maytime I saw lovely Phillis It was upon a springtide day A king there was in Thule Laugh not, Youth, at Age! Lay a garland Let us all go Maying

Light of my soul List! Lady, be not coy No, no, Nigella Nymphs are sporting O ye roses Purple glow the forest mountains See how smoothly Shoot, false Love, I care not Sing we and chaunt it a 4 Sing we and chaunt it a 8 Sir Patrick Spens The song of the Frank companies Spring returns Summer is ycoming in

Sweet as a flower in May Take heed, ye shepherd swains Take, O take those lips away War song of the Norman Baron Taillefer Waters of Elle When Allen-a-Dale went a-hunting When last I strayed Who shall win my lady fair? Why do the roses Why should the cuckoo's tuneful note Why weeps, alas! my lady-love Why with toil thy life consuming The Winter song

Male Voices

For all our men were very, very merry Mihi est propositum O! all ye ladies fair and true

The praise of good wine The red wine flows The river spirit's song

There is a paradise on earth

Vocal Duet

• Duetto buffo di due gatti (Gioachino Rossini)

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Settings of text by Robert Lucas Pearsall

• Come let us be merry (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• The hardy Norseman's house of yore (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• In dulci jubilo (Philip Le Bas)
• Let us all go Maying (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• O! all ye ladies fair and true (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• See how smoothly (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• The song of the Frank companies (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• War song of the Norman Baron Taillefer (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• When last I strayed (Robert Lucas Pearsall)
• Why should the cuckoo's tuneful note (Robert Lucas Pearsall)

External links

Works by Robert Lucas Pearsall in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)