To you fair ladies now in town (Benjamin Cooke)
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- (Posted 2021-05-25) CPDL #64527:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2021-05-25). Score information: A4, 4 pages, 180 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.
General Information
Title: To you fair ladies now in town
Composer: Benjamin Cooke
Lyricist: Anon
Number of voices: 3vv Voicing: TTB
Genre: Secular, Glee
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1795
Description: The unattributed text was anthologised frequently, first appearing in 1729, when Senesino was at the height of his fame.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
To you fair ladies now in town
We countrymen do write,
And do invite you to come down
To taste of our delight.
The weather's fine, the fields are gay,
And 'tis the merry month of May.
The country now's in all its pride,
New-drest in lovely green;
The earth with various colours dyed
Displays a lovely scene.
A thousand pretty flow'rs appear,
To deck your bosom and your hair.
The cuckoo's pick'd up all the dirt,
The trees are all in bloom;
If rural music can divert,
Each bush affords a tune.
The turtle's heard in ev'ry grove,
And milkmaids sing their songs of love.
We'll shew you all our cowslip meads,
Our pleasant woods and springs,
And lead you to the tuneful shades
Where Philomena sings:
Sweet Philomel, whose warbling throat
Excels your Senesino's note.