This edition was prepared by Michael Gray — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
As a decrepit father takes delight
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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As a decrepit father takes delight by Michael Gray — Lyrics
As a decrepit father takes delight
To see his active child do deeds of youth
So I, made lame by Fortune's dearest spight
Take all of my comfort of thy worth and truth.
For whether beauty, birth, or wealth, or wit,
Or any of these all, or all, or more
Intitled in their parts, do crownéd sit,
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About As a decrepit father takes delight
Michael Gray’s setting of this English poem presents a profound reflection on love and contentment. The text, with its vivid imagery of an aging father finding joy in his child’s youthful vigour, becomes a metaphor for the speaker’s own reliance on a loved one. The speaker finds solace and substance in the other’s qualities – beauty, birth, wealth, and wit – declaring that through this connection, they are no longer diminished by their own perceived limitations. This SAB setting offers a rich harmonic language to explore the text’s themes of abundance and shared glory, making it a deeply expressive choice for secular choral programmes.
