This edition was prepared by Juliane Claudi — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Es war ein König in Thule
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
Preview
0
0
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.
Es war ein König in Thule by Friedrich Silcher|, loosely based on Carl Friedrich Zelter's 1-voice composition — Lyrics
Es war ein König in Thule,
gar treu bis an das Grab,
dem sterbend seine Buhle
einen gold'nen Becher gab.
Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
er leert' ihn jeden Schmaus,
die Augen gingen ihm über,
sooft er trank daraus.
Und als er kam zu sterben,
zählt er sein' Städt' im Reich,
ließ alles seinen Erben,
den Becher nicht zugleich.
Read full lyrics
About Es war ein König in Thule
This TTBB setting of the poem Es war ein König in Thule presents a poignant tale of a king's devotion to a golden goblet, a gift from his dying love. The text, a celebrated German ballad, describes the king cherishing this goblet above all his possessions, drinking from it at every feast. Even as he lay dying, surrounded by his court, he refused to pass it on to his heirs. In a final, symbolic act, he threw the treasured goblet into the sea, a gesture signifying his ultimate relinquishment and the end of his earthly joys. Silcher's arrangement captures the narrative's solemnity and emotional weight, creating a moving choral experience.
