A Pastorall Elegy
on the Blessed Memory of her late Gracious Majesty Queen Mary
Editor: Edited by Timothy Roberts
for soprano, alto,tenor, bass and bc
Ref. no Kng 1 (in 'cantatas') sample page cover page To order: ☞
On Mary’s death King composed this Elegy for four voices which appeared in published form in a volume with the title “A Second Booke of Songs together/ with A Pastorall Elegy, on the Blessed/ Memory of her late Gracious MAJESTY/ QUEEN MARY, for One Two Three & Four/ Voices, Composed by R King BM / Servant to his MAJESTY”. It is presumed that this was published shortly after the Queen’s death, possibly in 1695, (but curiously, the date on the copy in the British Library is 1727). This volume is dedicated to Lord Burleigh. The present work is an attractive setting of a not very sophisticated conventional pastoral text, with a pleasing alternation of solos with duets and a trio, and concluding with a chorus for four voices.
