Ah! How Sophia can you leave?

This English glee captures a lover's plea, lamenting his beloved Sophia's apparent indifference. He begs her to reconsider, comparing her beauty to the exotic plume of an Indian bird, yet finding her own bloom far richer. The text expresses a poignant fear of being merely a temporary lodger in her heart, with the unsettling suspicion that others already share her affections. Composed by John Wall Callcott, this piece is written for two contrasting trios, one for three tenors and one for three sopranos, offering a unique sonic opportunity for a choir seeking engaging secular part-music from the late 18th or early 19th century.