St Alfege Parish Church Lunchtime concert - Saturday 26th October 2024

G. F. Händel - Their land brought forth frogs (Israel in Egypt)

Quickening, six songs by Robert Hugill for soprano, violin and piano setting poems by Christina Rosetti (computer simulated recordings).

1 – Song
When I am dead, my dearest
	Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
	Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
	With showers and dewdrops wet:
And if thou wilt, remember,
	And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
	I shall not fear the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
	Sing on as if in pain.
And dreaming through the twilight
	that doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
	And haply may forget.

2 – Bitter for Sweet
Summer is gone with all its roses,
	Its sun and perfumes and sweet flowers,
	Its warm air and refreshing showers;
		And even Autumn closes.

Yea, Autumn's chilly self is going,
	And winter comes which is yet colder;
	Each day the hoarfrost waxes bolder,
		And the last buds cease blowing.

3 – Two Pursuits
A voice said, "Follow, follow": and I rose
	And followed far into the dreamy night,
	Turning my back upon the pleasant light.

It led me where the bluest water flows,
And would not let me drink: where corn grows
	I dared not pause, but went uncheered by sight
	Or touch, until at length in evil plight.

It left me, wearied out with many woes.
Some time I sat as one beref of sense:
	But soon another voice, from very far
		Called, "Follow, follow": and I rose again.
	Now on my night has dawned a blessed star:
		Kind steady hands my sinking steps sustain,
And will not leave me till I shall go hence.

4 – Remember
Remember me when I am gone away,
	Gone far away into the silent land;
	When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day
	You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
	And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
	For if the darkness and corruption leave
	A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
	Than that you should remember and be sad.

5  Withering
Fade, tender lily,
	Fade, O crimson rose,
Fade every flower,
	Sweetest flower that blows.

Go, Chilly autumn,
	Come, O winter cold;
Let the green stalks die away
	Into common mould.

Birth follows hard on death,
	Life on withering;
Hasten, we will come the sooner
	Back to pleasant spring.


6 – The First Spring Day
I wonder if the sap is stirring yet,
If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate,
If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun
And crocus fires are kindling one by one:
	Sing, robin, sing
I still am sore in doubt concerning spring.

I wonder if the Springtide of this year
Will bring another Spring both lost and dear;
If heart and spirit will find out their spring,
Or if the world alone will bud and sing;
	Sing hope to me;
Sweet notes, my hope, soft notes for memory

The sap will surely quicken soon or late,
The tardiest bird will twitter to a mate;
So spring must dawn again with warmth and bloom,
So spring must dawn, must dawn again,
dawn again with warmth and bloom,

Or in this world or in the world to come;
	Sing, voice of Spring
Till I too blossom and rejoice and sing.


1  Song

Robert is a composer of contemporary classical music who is resident in London. See my on-line catalogue for the full range of music.

The music from my motet collection Tempus per Annum is available for free download from CPDL, see links.

Recent performances include the premiere of Advent Prose by Alistair Dixon and Chapelle du Roi at St John's Smith Square

1 Song

RobertHugill

Related tracks