This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Epitaph on a Dormouse
Staff Notation • Secular, Glees
Preview
0
0
2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Robert Nottingham
Preview
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Epitaph on a Dormouse by Benjamin Cooke — Lyrics
“Words said to have been written by a child.”
In paper case, hard by this place,
Dead a poor dormouse lies;
And soon or late, summon'd by fate,
Each prince, each monarch dies.
Read full lyrics
About Epitaph on a Dormouse
Benjamin Cooke’s Epitaph on a Dormouse is a delightful example of the glee, a popular genre of secular vocal music in 18th-century Britain. Written for SATB chorus, the piece sets a playful, yet poignant, English text attributed to a child. The composer treats the simple words with sophisticated part-writing, creating an engaging texture where the voices weave around each other. The lyrics reflect on mortality, drawing a parallel between the fate of a small dormouse and that of princes and monarchs, urging listeners to repent. Cooke’s setting captures the mixture of lightheartedness and gentle moralising inherent in the text, making for an entertaining and thought-provoking performance.
