Benjamin Britten - The Old Lute

Of cord and cassia-wood
Is the lute compounded;
Within it lie ancient melodies
Ancient melodies weak and savourless
Not appealing to present men’s taste
Light and colour are faded
From the jade stops;
Dust has covered the rose-red strings
Decay and ruin came to it long ago
But the sound that is left
Is still cold and clear
I do not refuse to play it, if you want me to;
But even if I play people will not listen
How did it come to be neglеcted so?
Because of thе Ch’iang flute
And the zithern of Ch’in

Edit

Copy

Comments: 0

More Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten - Ee-oh! | Lyrics
The fox and his wife they had a great strife They never eat mustard in all their whole life; They eat their meat without fork or knife And lov'd to be picking a bone, ee-oh!

Benjamin Britten - A New Year Carol | Lyrics
Here we bring new water from the well so clear For to worship God with, this happy New Year Sing levy dew, sing levy dew, the water and the wine; The seven bright gold wires and

Benjamin Britten - I mun be married on Sunday | Lyrics
I mun be married on Sunday Whosoever shall come that way I mun be married a Sunday Roister Doister is my name A lusty brute I am the same I mun be married a Sunday

Benjamin Britten - Fishing Song | Lyrics
Oh, the gallant fisher's life It is the best of any! ’Tis full of pleasure, void of strife And 'tis belov'd of many; Other joys. are but toys; Only this lawful

Benjamin Britten - The useful plough | Lyrics
A country life is sweet In moderate cold and heat To walk in the air, how pleasant and fair In ev'ry field of wheat The fairest of flowers adorning the bowers And

Benjamin Britten - Jazz-Man | Lyrics
Crash and Clang! Bash and Bang! And up in the road the Jazz-Man sprang! The One-Man-Jazz-Band playing in the street Drums with his Elbows, Cymbals with his Feet Pipes with

Benjamin Britten - There was a monkey | Lyrics
There was a monkey climb'd up a tree When he fell down, then down fell he There was a crow sat on a stone When he was gone, then there was none There was an old wife did eat

Benjamin Britten - Dance Song | Lyrics
The unicorn’s hoofs! The unicorn’s hoofs! The duke’s sons throng, the duke’s sons throng Alas for the unicorn! Alas for the unicorn! Alas! The unicorn’s brow! The unicorn’s

Benjamin Britten - She's like the swallow | Lyrics
She's like the swallow that flies so high She's like the river that never runs dry She's like the sunshine on the lee shore I love my love and love is no more

Benjamin Britten - Lemady | Lyrics
One midsummer's morn as I were a-walking The fields and the meadows were covered with green The birds a-sweetly singing so pleasant and so charming So early in the morning by the

Photo Benjamin Britten

Edit

Benjamin Britten - Biography

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was one of the 20th century’s greatest opera composers. Born in Suffolk, England, he studied at the Royal College of Music. He fell into the circle of W.H. Auden, and though he left a few years later, he met the tenor Peter Pears, who would become his greatest musical interpreter and his personal partner until Britten’s death. After spending part of the years of World War II in America, he leapt to prominence in 1945 with his opera Peter Grimes. Later successes on the stage included Albert Herring, Billy Budd, The Turn of the Screw, and Death in Venice. He wrote music for other venues as well, and his great successes include the Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings; the Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge; the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra; and the War Requiem. Shortly before his death, he became the first composer to be awarded a life peerage by the British crown.

Edit

Benjamin Britten - The Old Lute

YouTube

Comments: 0

Enter your name (nickname)

More Benjamin Britten

Photo Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten - Biography

New

Popular