Summum bonum

	All the breath and the bloom of the year in the bag of one bee:
All the wonder and wealth of the mine in the heart of one gem:
In the core of one pearl all the shade and the shine of the sea:
Breath and bloom, shade and shine, -- wonder, wealth, and -- how far above them --
        Truth that's brighter than gem,
        Trust, that's purer than pearl, --
Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe--all were for me
        In the kiss of one girl.

by Robert Browning (1812-1889) , "Summum bonum", from Asolando: Fancies and Facts, published 1889

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (1868-1946) , "Summum bonum", 1920, published 1921 [voice and piano], from Dramatic Lyrics Set II, no. 2.
by William Henry Bell (1873-1946) , "Summum bonum", op. 9 no. ? (1903) [voice and piano], from Songs of youth and springtide, no. ?
by Frank Davidson , "Summum bonum", published 1905. [tenor and piano]
by Clarence Dickinson (1873-1969) , "Summum bonum", published 1909. [duet for medium voices and piano]
by Irwin Fischer (1903-) , "Summum bonum", 1928, first performed 1928. [soprano or tenor and piano]
by Benoit Hollander (1853-1942) , "Summum bonum", published 1897 [medium voice and piano], from Two songs, no. ?
by Charles Inches , "Summum bonum", published 1908 [voice and piano], from Two songs, no. ?
by Noel Johnson , "All the bloom of the year", published 1898. [high voice and piano]
by Harvey Löhr , "Summum bonum", published 1893. [high voice and piano]
by (James) Albert Mallinson (1870-1946) , "All the breath and the bloom of the year", published 1925. [high voice and piano]
by Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844-1931) , "Summum bonum", published 1893 [medium voice and piano], from Browning songs (First Series), no. ?
by T. Popplewell Royle , "Summum bonum", published 1891. [high voice and piano]
by Humphrey John Stewart (1856-1935) , "Best of all", published 1911. [high voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2009-02-26.

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