This edition was prepared by Jonathan Goodliffe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Come and let us live
Staff Notation • Secular, Glees
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Come and let us live by Samuel Webbe Jr. — Lyrics
Come and let us live my Dear,
Let us love and never fear,
What the sourest Fathers say:
Brightest Sol that dies today
Lives again as blithe tomorrow,
But if we dark sons of sorrow
Set; o then, how long a Night
Shuts the Eyes of our short light!
Then let amorous kisses dwell
On our lips, begin to tell
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About Come and let us live
Samuel Webbe Jr. was a noted composer of glees, a popular genre of unaccompanied secular vocal music in late 18th and early 19th century Britain. This example, for four male voices (ATTB), sets a text that celebrates the joys of life and love. The lyrics urge listeners to embrace pleasure without fear, drawing a parallel between the sun's daily rebirth and the ephemeral nature of human life. It encourages seizing the moment with passionate embraces and multiplying kisses, a playful yet fervent expression of carpe diem. The music would have originally been intended for convivial gatherings, reflecting the social function of the glee tradition.
