Burial Service (William Croft)

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• (Posted 2004-11-19)  CPDL #08524:      (Sibelius 2)

Editor: Denis Mason (submitted 2004-11-19).   Score information: A4, 9 pages, 260 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: includes 'Thou knowest' Z.58b by Henry Purcell

Individual sections

Anthem "I am the Resurrection"

• (Posted 2017-02-28)  CPDL #43327:        (Finale 2012)

Editor: Joachim Kelecom (submitted 2017-02-28).   Score information: A4, 5 pages, 96 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: This edition includes organ accompaniment, as implied by the 1724 publication's figuring.

General Information

Title: Burial Service
Composer: William Croft

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Anthem, Burial service

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1724 in Musica Sacra, Vol 1 (William Croft), p. 177
Description: From Croft's preface:
At the End of this Volume is printed an Entire Burial-Service, which it is hoped will not be unacceptable, there being scarce any Thing of that Kind that is correct in any Cathedral in England; for Want whereof great Confusion and Perplexity in that Kind of Performance generally ensues, to the great Detriment and Disadvantage of these solemn Rites. In that Service there is one Verse composed by my Predecessor, the Famous Mr. Henry Purcell, to which, in Justice to his Memory, his Name is applied; the Reason why I did not compose that Verse a-new, (so as to render the whole Service entirely of my own Composition,) is obvious to every Artist; in the rest of That Service composed by me, I have endeavoured, as near as possibly I could, to imitate that great Master and celebrated Composer, whose Name will for ever stand high in the Rank of Those, who have laboured to improve the English Style, in his so happily adapting his Compositions to English Words in that elegant and judicious Manner, as was unknown to many of his Predecessors; but in this Respect both His and My worthy and honoured Master, Dr. Blow, was known likewise to excel.

Original text and translations

English text

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord :
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh shall I see God:
whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

We brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live,
and is full of misery.
He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower;
he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.
In the midst of life we are in death:
of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord,
who for our sins art justly displeased?
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.
A missing 'paragraph' here may be filled by Purcell's "Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts", Z.58b for the same performing forces, included in Croft's 1724 print.

I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me,
Write,
From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord:
even so saith the Spirit:
for they rest from their labours.
Amen.