1685. In 1686 there does not appear to have been any performance. Dryden, in 1687, pro Tate's Ode being short, and not having been reprinted, I believe, in any of the MISCELLANIES, I shall subjoin it, as a companion to that of 1683. To do him justice, however, his song must be acknowledged to be less exceptionable than his great original, and may aspire to the praise of a tolerable Namby-Pamby. It occupies one side of a single half-sheet, and appears to have been dis. persed gratis: "Tune the viol, touch the lute, "Wake the harp, inspire the flute, "Call the jolly swains away, "Love and Musick reign to-day. "Let your kids and lambkins rove, "Let them sport or feed at will, "Grace the vale, or climb the hill; "Let them feed, or let them love: "Let them love, or let them stray, "Let them feed, or let them play ; 'Negle&t them or guide them, "No harm shall betide them, "On bright Cecilia, bright Cecilia's day. "Thus the nymphs and jolly swains, "In delightful measure move, "With their cheerful roundelay "Celebrate Cecilia's day, "While Angels join in consort from above. "What charms can musick not impart, "That through the ear finds passage to the heart! duced his first Ode, of which the composer was Giovanni Baptista Draghi, a celebrated Italian "In vain the Muse indites the lover's tale; 'Tis musick only makes his song prevail. "In vain do wit and sense combine, "Without this art, to make our numbers shine : "Words are the body, mufick is the soul. "Call the jolly swains away, "To celebrate Cecilia's day. "Rouse the viol, wake the lyre, "To sing her praise, who did our art inspire: "At leisure we will do them right; T "And musick best can musick's power recite." In the Preface to PSYCHE, 1675, Shadwell says, that "all the instrumental musick of that opera, not mingled with vocal, was composed by that great master, Gio. Baptista Draghi, Master of the Italian musick to the King." He is said by Mr. Wanley, Lord Oxford's librarian, (Catalogue of Harleian MSS. 1272, art. 80.) to have been musick-master to Queen Anne; probably previous to her marriage, in 1683, to Prince George of Denmark. He was also organist to Catharine, the Queen Dowager, during her residence at Somerset-House; where she had an ecclesiastical establishment from the time of the King's death, till she left England in March, 1692. He was living in 1706, when he composed some part of the musick of D'Urfey's opera, called THE WONDERS OF THE SUN; in which song sung by HOSPITALITY, in the character of a Dame of Honour, and set by Draghi, was much admired. As a master, who is supposed to have come into England in 1673, in the train of Mary of Este, Princess of Modena, and consort of James the Second; and assisted Lock in composing the musick of Shadwell's opera of PSYCHE.-From that time to the year 1703, St. Cecilia was honoured by an annual Musical Entertainment, with the exception of three years, 1688, 1689, and 1702. The Prince of Orange, with his army, having landed at Torbay on the 5th of November, 1688, the con fusion of the time may easily account for the omission in that year: and in the years 1689 and 1702, there may have been musical performances, though they have eluded my researches. Of the Odes written for this festival, of which I shall subjoin as accurate a list as I have been able to form, many are yet extant. Among those who contended with Dryden in celebrating Ce 6 composer of musick, he was generally called in the last age, Signior Baptist. Dryden's first Ode for St. Cecilia was again set to musick by Handel, and performed at the theatre in Lincoln'sInn Fields, on St. Cecilia's day, November 22d, 1739, after ALEXANDER'S FEAST. The following list contains, I believe, all the Odes for St. Cecilia's day, hitherto discovered: COMPOSERS. HENRY PURCELL. cilia, are found some eminent, and several obscure, poets: Oldham and Tate, who have been already mentioned; Shadwell, Brady, Parsons, D'Urfey, Bishop, Wesley, Yalden, Addison, Congreve, AUTHORS. COMPOSERS. performance in honour of St. Cecilia, in this year.— In "Poems on several occasions, by Thomas Fletcher, B. A. Fellow of New College, in Oxford," 8vo. 1692, I find " an Ode on the Feast of St. Ce. cilia, 1686;" but the author being then extremely young, and a student at Oxford, it probably was not performed in London. It might perhaps have been sung at Oxford. His Ode is reprinted in Dryden's Miscellanies, fourth edit. 1716. vol. iv. p. 93. His Ode was printed in folio at the time; as were, I believe, all the other Songs for St. Cecilia's day. I know not whether it has been reprinted. 1692. NICHOLAS BRADY; . . . . . HENRY PURCELL. then M. A. Printed in the GENTLEMAN'S JOURNAL for November, 1692, p. 93. The author of that Miscellany says, "it was admirably set to musick by Mr. Henry Purcell, and performed twice with universal applause, and particularly the second stanza, which was sung with incredible graces by Mr. Purcell himself."-Dr. Burney observes, (HIST. OF MUSICK, iii. 499,) that " Purcell's song on St. Ce. cilia's day, 1692, has several passages," of which Hughes, and Pope. The Odes of Yalden and Addison, however, and probably Wesley, were AUTHORS. COMPOSERS. Handel frequently made use, many years after, in his ALLEGRO and PENSEROSO." A Song in honour of St. Cecilia, was, I believe, this year sung at Oxford, written by Addison, beginning with the words" Cecilia, whose exalted hymns." It was printed in Dryden's. FOURTH MISCELLANY, 8vo. 1694; and is in Tickell's edition of Addison's works. This Song was at a subsequent period again set to musick by M. C. Festing. 1693. THEOPHILUS PARSONS.... GODFREY FINGER. Printed in the GENTLEMAN'S JOURNAL for Nov. 1693, p. 377. Parsons has a paper of verses prefixed to CLEOMENES, which are highly commended by our author. At Oxford this year was sung an Ode written by Thomas Yalden. Printed in Dryden's FOURTH MISCELLANY, 8vo. 1694. 1694. Unknown. An Ode for St. Cecilia's day, which is said to have been written some time since by Samuel Wesley, [author of the Life of Christ,] and not to have been seen in town, is printed in the GENT. JOURNAL for May, 1694. 1695. Unknown. 1696. Unknown. 1697. DRYDEN. 1698. Perhaps THO. BISHOP; .... DANIEL PURCELL. whose Ode for St. Cecilia, beginning with the words" Cecilia, charming saint, we raise"-is reprinted in Nichols's Select Collection of Poems, |