Text#

Brady’s poem was derived from John Dryden’s “A Song for St Cecilia’s Day” of 1687. Following Dryden, Brady extols the birth and personality of musical instruments, including the idea that Cecilia invented the organ (see note ). Purcell responds to the text by giving emphasis to the colours and dramatic possibilities of the baroque orchestra. The reference to “Atoms bind” in the fifth movement might have been influenced by Robert Boyle’s The Sceptical Chymist.

Scoring#

With a text full of references to musical instruments, the work is scored for a variety of vocal soloists and obbligato instruments, along with strings and basso continuo. For example, “Hark, each Tree” is a duet between, vocally, soprano and bass, and instrumentally, between recorders and violins. These instruments are called for in the text (“box and fir” being the woods from which they are made). However, Purcell did not always follow Brady’s cues exactly. He scored the warlike music for two brass trumpets and copper kettle drums instead of the fife mentioned by Brady. It has been suggested that Purcell himself was the countertenor soloist at the first performance. However, although he was a trained singer, the idea that he sang at this premiere appears to be a misunderstanding of a contemporary review.

Musical structures#

The airs employ a variety of dance forms. “Hark, each tree” is a sarabande. “Thou tun’st this world” is set as a minuet. The compositional techniques used by Purcell include counterpoint and the ground bass (“Hark, each Tree” is a duet on a ground bass, “In vain the am’rous flute” is set to a passacaglia bass).

Movements#

The work consists of 13 movements. # Symphony (overture): Introduction—Canzona—Adagio—Allegro—Grave—Allegro (repeat) # Recitative (bass) and chorus: “Hail! Bright Cecilia” # Duet (treble though range would suggest alto and bass): “Hark! hark! each tree” # Air (countertenor): “‘Tis nature’s voice” # Chorus: “Soul of the world” # Air (soprano) and chorus: “Thou tun’st this world” # Trio (alto, tenor and bass): “With that sublime celestial lay” # Air (bass): “Wondrous machine!” # Air (countertenor): “The airy violin” # Duet (countertenor and tenor): “In vain the am’rous flute” # Air (countertenor): “The fife and all the harmony of war” # Duet (two basses): “Let these among themselves contest” # Chorus: “Hail! Bright Cecilia, hail to thee”

Publication#

The work was edited for publication by Edward Francis Rimbault.

See also#

• Welcome to all the pleasures
• Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day (Handel)

Notes#

“With that sublime celestial lay” and “Wond’rous machine” are numbers in praise of the organ. The organ would count as a member of the speaking forest to which Brady refers. It should be remembered that English organs of the period typically had wooden pipes.#

External links#

• , including Rimbault’s introduction
• A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day, 1687 by John Dryden