Lay a garland

"Lay a garland" is a popular English madrigal composition in E♭ major. It was written by Robert Lucas de Pearsall on 4 June 1840^[1] and is scored for two sopranos, two altos, two tenors and two basses or as it is more commonly written SSAATTBB. The piece is based on a poem from the play a The Maid's Tragedy written in 1608-11. It has been recorded by many choirs. In 1854, Pearsall produced a contrafactum of Lay a Garland, to the Latin text Tu es Petrus, dedicating it to the first bishop of St Gallen, John Peter. This is more often performed by choirs in a liturgical setting, as the original words for the music are more appropriate to a secular occasion.

Words

The text is taken from the song in Beaumont and Fletcher's play The Maid's Tragedy Act II, Scene I.^[2] The song is sung by Aspasia where her betrothed is forced into a marriage of convenience to the king's mistress. The words original words are as follows:^[3]

Lay a garland on my hearse
of the^[I] dismal yew.
Maidens, willow branches wear,
say I died true.
My love was false, but I was firm
from my hour of birth.^[I]
Upon my buried body lie
lightly, gentle earth.

However Pearsall's music is set to these adapted words changed from first to third person^[1][3]

Lay a garland on her hearse
of dismal yew.
Maidens, willow branches wear,
say she died true.
Her love was false, but she was firm
Upon her buried body lie
lightly, thou^[II] gentle earth.

I^ : These words were present in the original poem by Beaumont and Fletcher but omitted in the composition

II^ : Word was added to the into the composition.

References

1. Madrigals and Partsongs. Oxford University Press. p. 375. ISBN 0-19-343694-9.
2. "The Maid's Tragedy, Act 2 Scene 1". Paul Ellison. 2008-03-31.
3. "Lay a Garland". CPDL. 2008-03-31.