This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Funeral Dirge
Staff Notation • Sacred, Set pieces
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Barry Johnston
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Funeral Dirge by Samuel Holyoke — Lyrics
Samuel Holyoke, Harmonia Americana, 1791
1. Farewell! a sad, a long farewell,
To this pale clay, whose life hath fled,
Resign it back to kindred dust,
Till the last trump awake the dead.
2. Adieu, thou dear departing soul,
Thou goest from hence to Christ above;
There to partake of endless bliss,
And celebrate redeeming love.
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About Funeral Dirge
This Sacred piece for SATB voices sets an English text of farewell and submission. The lyrics speak of grieving a departed soul, resigning the body to dust, and acknowledging God's sovereign will with silent adoration. Originally published in Samuel Holyoke's Harmonia Americana in 1791, this Funeral Dirge offers solace and reflection through its solemn words and musical setting, focusing on the transition from earthly life to eternal bliss and the acceptance of divine command.
