This edition was prepared by John Henry Fowler — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A Fairy Town
Staff Notation • Secular, Art songs
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A Fairy Town by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry — Lyrics
While the sun was going down,
There arose a fairy town.
Not the town I saw by day,
Cheerless, joyless, dull and gray,
But a far, fantastic place,
Builded with ethereal grace,
Shimmering in a tender mist
That the slanting rays had kissed
Ere they left their latest fire
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About A Fairy Town
Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, a leading figure of the late Romantic era in English music, composed this art song for solo tenor. Setting an evocative English text, the song paints a vivid picture of a magical, ethereal town that appears at sunset, distinct from the mundane world of daylight. The lyrics describe a fantastical landscape inhabited by mythical sea creatures, mermen and maidens, who sing amidst the rocks. The imagery of shimmering mist, slender spires, and a city descending into the shining sand creates a dreamlike and enchanting atmosphere. This piece is a fine example of Parry's ability to blend lyrical melody with rich harmonic language to express poetic sentiment.
