This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A Dirge
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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A Dirge by Charles Villiers Stanford — Lyrics
Naiad, hid beneath the bank
By the willowy riverside,
Where Narcissus gently sank,
Where unmarried Echo died,
Unto thy serene repose
Waft the stricken Anterôs.
Where the tranquil swan is borne,
Imaged in a watery glass,
Where the sprays of fresh pink thorn
Stoop to catch the boats that pass,
Where the earliest orchis grows,
Bury thou fair Anterôs.
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About A Dirge
Stanford's A Dirge unfolds with a somber, flowing texture, its SATB voices weaving a rich harmonic cloth. The composer captures the melancholic mood of the English text, which laments the loss of a figure named Anterôs. The lyrics evoke a pastoral scene, a serene riverbank where sorrowful reflection takes place. The music mirrors the imagery of gentle currents and shaded repose, yet underlying this tranquility is a profound sense of grief for the departed. This is a sensitive and atmospheric setting, ideal for a choir seeking to explore expressive, secular part-singing.
