328) - and, according to an early engraving, sung by Purcell himself on St. Drawn from the ode Hail, Bright Cecilia (Z. “‘Tis nature’s voice” suggests another kind of Italian influence. “Music for a while,” from a set of incidental music for the play Oedipus, and the beloved “Evening Hymn” are also examples of Purcell’s ingenious and expressive use of this technique. “O solitude,” which Purcell published in 1687 in a collection titled Comes Amoris: Or The Companion of Love, uses one of the composer’s favourite devices, a ground bass Purcell adopted the practice from his Italian contemporaries but made it unmistakeably his own, crafting unusual bass patterns, varying the harmony, and shaping the melodic contour and rhythm to create a dramatic sense of storytelling. Like a French overture, it begins with a dignified, sombre introduction, followed by an agile and more intensively contrapuntal second section whereas the overture was frequently intended to accompany the entrance of the king, we can imagine that this symphony is welcoming “Music” itself, whose “holiday” is being celebrated. Cecilia Day odes, and its opening “Symphony” draws a majestic sound out of relatively modest three-part scoring for two violin lines and bass. This programme celebrates the power and importance of supporting and listening to those voices, bringing together some of the gems of Purcell’s vocal and instrumental writing with the work of diverse musicians of later centuries. Although some of the occasions for raising the voice have changed since Purcell’s time, many of the basic reasons for doing so have not. Cecilia (November 22), the patroness of music, encouraged music that reflected on its own powers: celebration and praise, lamentation, solace and healing. The word “ode” comes from an ancient Greek term meaning “to sing,” and the ode of Classical antiquity was thus a poem meant to be sung. Their enduring subject, however, is music-the act of singing-itself. After the accession of the Protestant William and Mary, Purcell continued to write odes for the queen’s birthday and for the festivities of civic institutions such as London’s “Musical Society.” In Purcell’s day, odes served as elevating expressions of unity in times of frequent political unrest-as well as projections of royal power. In the days of the music-loving Stuart monarchs, Purcell’s music marked the comings and goings of the king with appropriate pomp and magnificence. The odes of Henry Purcell (1659-1695) were closely tied to court ceremonial and public celebration.
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