This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Damon’s passion
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Damon’s passion by Charles Villiers Stanford — Lyrics
Phillis
Sonnet XII
Ah, trees, why fall your leaves so fast?
Ah rocks, where are your robes of moss?
Ah flocks, why stand you all aghast?
Trees, rocks, and flocks, what, are ye pensive for my loss?
The birds, methinks, tune naught but moan,
The winds breathe naught but bitter plaint,
The beasts forsake their dens to groan;
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About Damon’s passion
Stanford’s Damon’s Passion is an SATB setting of a sonnet by Phillis. The composer draws the choir into the lament of the text, with voices often moving in close harmony, creating a rich, resonant sound. The music vividly portrays the sorrowful mood, with each element of nature joining in the speaker's grief. The flowing melodic lines and carefully crafted textures reflect the heightened emotional state described in the poem, making it a compelling and dramatic part-song for unaccompanied mixed voices.
