This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn by Thomas Costellow — Lyrics
My God, permit me not to be
A stranger to myself and thee;
Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove,
Forgetful of my highest love.
Why should my passions mix with earth,
And thus debase my heav'nly birth?
Why should I cleave to things below,
And let my God, my Saviour, go?
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About Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn
Thomas Costellow's setting for SATB voices of this English hymn opens with a flowing melodic line that soon gives way to the rich harmonies and imitative textures typical of the genre. The composer skillfully weaves the four vocal parts together, creating moments of both homophonic clarity and intricate polyphony. The text speaks of a longing to escape worldly distractions and find solace in spiritual contemplation, a theme explored with earnestness through the music's gentle yet purposeful unfolding. The piece moves through moments of quiet introspection and more fervent expression, mirroring the text's plea for a deeper connection with the divine, away from the 'scenes withdrawn' of earthly life.
