by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
What hope for us remains now he is gone?
Language: English
What hope for us remains now he is gone? He, that knew all the pow'r of numbers, flown, Alas! too soon; ev'n he, Whose skilful harmony Had charms for all the ills that we endure, And could apply a certain cure; From pointed griefs he'd take the pain away, Ev'n ill nature did his lyre obey, And in kind thoughts his artful hand repay. His lays to anger and to war could move, Then calm the tempest they had rais'd with love, And with soft sounds to gentle thoughts incline, No passion reign'd where he did not combine. He knew such mystic touches that in death Could cure the fear, or stop the parting breath; And if to die had been his fear Or life his care, He with his lyre could call and unite His spirits to the fight, And vanquish Death in his own field of Night. Pleas'd with some pow'rful Hallelujah, he, Wrapp'd in the joys of his own harmony, Sung on, and flew up to the Deity.
Note in score: "On the Death of his worthy Friend Mr. Matthew Lock, musick-composer to his majesty, and organist of Her majestie's Chappel, who dyed in August 1677."
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "What hope for us remains now he is gone?", Z. 472. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 23
Word count: 171