Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought

Tenor solo 
 Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought, 
 Wandering lone in wayward thought, 
 In level meads by gliding streams, 
 When summer noon is full of dreams.
 And thy sweet airs her soul invade,
 Haunting retired the willow shade. 
 Or in some orchard's wallèd nook
 She communes with her ancient book,
 Beneath the branches waving low,
 While the high sun in cloudless glow 
 Smiteth all day the long hillside 
 With ripening corn-fields waving wide. 
 There if thou wander all the year,
 No jar of man shall reach thine ear; 
 Only awhile the distant sound 
 From hidden villages around,
 Threading the glades and woody heights, is borne
 Of bells that dong the Sabbath morn.

by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844-1930) , no title, from Invocation to Music, no. 3, published 1895

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 Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) , "Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought", published 1895 [tenor and orchestra], from Invocation to music - An Ode in Honour of Henry Purcell, no. 3.

Date added to the website: 2009-07-30.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Thee, fair Poetry oft hath sought, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire