Showing posts with label poet's birhtday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poet's birhtday. Show all posts

Friday, February 12, 2021

February 12 - Thomas Campion (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Series)

Thomas Campion (12 February 1567 – 1 March 1620) was a composer, poet, and physician.

[For last year's short verse, also on Campion click here.]

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Momento mori


The composer and poet, the great Thomas Campion,

Wasn’t a fighter, a knight, or a champion.

He wasn’t a lawyer, he wasn’t nobility,

He wasn’t a rich man, in all probability.


The profession he practiced was that of physician,

(One can’t make a living as a poet-musician).

And though I’ve no doubt he was good at his job, he

Is only remembered because of his hobby.


Moral


But sad to report, though the record is vague,

It seems very likely he died of the plague.

Whatever your job or the source of your fame,

Death comes for everyone, one and the same.



 If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]

Thursday, December 12, 2019

December 13 - Heinrich Heine; Phillips Brooks (The Musical Birthday Series)

Today's offerings are not musicians, but rather writers whose works were used by composers in vocal works. 


Heinrich Heine (13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a great German Romantic lyric poet.



Auf Flügeln des Gesanges

For a German Romantic musician
It was almost the default position
When seeking for verse
Both lyric and terse
To reach for a Heine edition.


♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ 
Phillips Brooks (December 13, 1835 – January 23, 1893) was a Boston clergyman and author of the hymn considered below.












Alternate Tunes

In England, as preferred by them,
“O Little Town of Bethlehem”
    Is sung to Forest Green.
While in the States the tune St. Louis
Is what is most familiar to us,
   Chromatic and serene.
Sir Walford Davies added more,
And hymn books offer half a score
   To vary the routine.
Whichever setting we may use
It’s Phillips Brooks’s verse we choose
   To set the Christmas scene.
(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)