Thou fairest proof of beauty's power (William Jackson of Exeter)
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- (Posted 2022-04-14) CPDL #68852:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-04-14). Score information: A4, 9 pages, 488 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.
General Information
Title: Thou fairest proof of beauty's power
Composer: William Jackson of Exeter
Lyricist: Matthew Prior
Number of voices: 3vv Voicing: ATB
Genre: Secular, Glee
Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo
First published: 1762 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
Thou fairest proof of beauty's pow'r,
Dear idol of my panting heart,
Nature points this my fatal hour!
And I have lived, and we must part.
Whilst now I take my last adieu,
Heave thou no sigh nor shed a tear,
Lest yet my half-closed eye may view
On earth an object worth its care.
From jealousy's tormenting strife
For ever be thy bosom freed;
That nothing may disturb thy life,
Content I hasten to the dead.
Yet when some better fated youth
Shall thee to am'rous parley move,
Reflect one moment on his truth,
When dying thus persists to love.