Sing, sing ye Muses (Epilogue to Amphion Anglicus, 1700)
for SATB, two violins and continuo
Ref. no Blo 5 (in 'cantatas') Price £ 9.00 sample page cover page To order: ☞
The present work, Sing, sing ye Muses, is the last to appear in this volume and is given the title ‘EPILOGUE./ A Song for Four Voices and Two VIOLINS, at an Entertain-/ment of MUSICK in York Builldings.’ The York buildings had been a favourite venue for recitals and concerts since the 1680’s. It was here that Jeremiah Clarke’s ‘new pastoral ode on the Peace’ was sung in 1697, Gottfried Finger and Giovanni Draghi gave concerts from 1693, and Robert King (4) with John Banister promoted a series from about 1698.
This song starts and finishes with sections for concerted voices and instruments, separated by a brief section for a trio of voices with continuo. A concluding passage marked ‘Slow’ solemnly states the ‘moral’: “Do you but Please the Fair and your Banquit is Crown’d”.
