This edition was prepared by Rufus Brodersen — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Floreamus
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.
Floreamus by Henry Coward — Lyrics
1. O the life of a Student's the life made for me,
By the Cam or the Isis, the Seine or the Spree!
But the best of all Students, or more is the pity,
Are the Students who gather in Sheffield's black city!
O Studiose, Magna cum voce, Dic, 'Floreamus!'
2. Do we envy the worldlings who toil but for gold,
With their minds ever shrinking, their hearts growing cold!
The Student who lives with the great ones of yore
Has more in his garret than they in their store!
O Studiose, etc.
3. When troubles infest us and life is stripped bare,
With Darwin or Newton we banish our care;
We have Shakespeare to charm us, and Shelley to sing,
So, if the flies sting us, Amen, let them sting!
O Studiose, etc.
Read full lyrics
About Floreamus
Henry Coward's Floreamus is a secular SATB partsong for mixed choir, setting a rollicking English text that celebrates student life. The words paint a vivid picture of scholarly pursuits, contrasting the student's intellectual riches with the material wealth of 'worldlings'. It evokes camaraderie among students, finding solace in literature and science during difficult times. The recurring Latin refrain, 'Floreamus!' (Let us flourish!), acts as a spirited call to embrace this vibrant academic existence. The piece's robust and celebratory tone makes it an engaging choice for choirs seeking a lively and textually rich addition to their programmes.
