Funeral Sentences and Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary

History#

Purcell composed a setting of the sixth of the seven sentences of the Anglican Burial Service (“Thou Knowest Lord”, Z. 58C) for the occasion, together with the March and Canzona, Z. 780.

Text and instrumentation#

The work is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, four trumpets, and basso continuo. The text is from the Book of Common Prayer (1662): 1. 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 ne’er continueth in one stay. 2. 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, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. 3. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears unto our pray’rs; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty. O holy and most merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.

Music#

The March, in C minor, was written for a quartet of flatt trumpets, which, as slide trumpets, could play notes outside of the harmonic series and thus in a minor key. Following the March is the Canzona, also in C minor. “Thou Knowest Lord” is in E major and is a stirring hymn-like setting with all the voice parts moving in the same rhythm. Purcell’s earlier setting of the fourth sentence of the Burial Service, “Man that is born of a woman”, introduces a melancholy theme. Purcell brings tension to the phrase with “hath but a short time to live”, and the melody rises and falls with the words “he cometh up and is cut down like a flower”. With “In the midst of life we are in death”, an earlier setting of the fifth sentence, Purcell begins with a soprano part that is passed on to the choir. The music portrays with chromaticism an air of anguish. There are two earlier versions of “Thou Knowest Lord”.

In popular culture#

Music from the March was adapted by Wendy Carlos for the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film, A Clockwork Orange. Robin Beanland would later adapt the music for the opening cut-scene of Rare Ltd.’s 2001 videogame, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, as the scene homages Kubrick’s film.

External links#

• Funeral Music for Queen Mary, Choral Public Domain Library
• , Ensemble La Fenice, Jean Tubéry (conductor), Céline Scheen, Hana Blažíková (sopranos)