This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
In Cælia’s face my heaven is
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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In Cælia’s face my heaven is by Julius Harrison — Lyrics
In Cælia’s face my heaven is,
Wherein her eyes like planets shine
And gleam athwart my cloudy skies,
With radiance fitful, yet divine.
Thy soul above the world is set,
Above the vain world’s fume and fret.
When I regard thy golden prime,
So dazzled as the sun doth eyes,
I envy Phäethon his crime,
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About In Cælia’s face my heaven is
This SATB setting of an English text opens with an immediate sense of yearning, the voices weaving together to reflect the singer's devotion to Cælia. The music captures the imagery of her eyes as shining stars that cut through cloudy skies, and the composer makes full use of the SATB choir to create rich harmonies. The text speaks of love that transcends worldly concerns, comparing the intensity of this passion to Phaethon's ill-fated attempt to drive the sun chariot. The composer explores the paradox of devoted love causing pain when unreturned, yet the anticipation of love's spring, a season without winter, offers a hopeful resolution. This is a beautifully crafted secular part-song.
