There is a three-part composition to this hunting-song by DR PHILIP HAYES. It is in a simple style, and I think has not the burthen, which is given by Carey. There is also in Warren's Collection a setting of this song by R. J. STEVENS, with the burthen. The composition is for four male voices. ROFFE (p. 16): [In addition to the setting of this song as a duet by LINLEY, there is also] a setting, as a glee, by R. J. STEVENS. This is one among that composer's favorite pieces. SIR HENRY BISHOP has likewise a setting in the solo form, which was sung by Miss M. Tree in the operatised Comedy of Errors. Lastly, I find in a Catalogue a setting of this song put down as a 'part-song,' composed by S. REAY in 1862; and again, another 'part-song' setting by EDWARD LODER is to be found in the programme of a performance at St James's Hall on the 22nd of April, 1864. THE NEW SHAKSPERE SOCIETY (♫. p. 7) : F. STANISLAUS, 1868. Solo, Soprano or Tenor. Ashdown. G. A. MACFARREN, 1869. Part Song, S., A., T., B. Novello. H. HILES, 1870. S., A., T., B. Novello. C. H. HUBERT PARRY, 1874. 'Spring Song. "A Garland,' No. 2. Contralto. Sung by Mad. Ant. Sterling. Boosey. M. B. FOSTER, 1876. Solo, Contralto. Alfred Phillips. Kilburn. J. MEISSLER, 1877. C. Labuneyer, 1881. D. DAVIES. Part Song. Society. In the spring-time. First sung May 7, 1883, at the Highbury Philharmonic Part Song. S., A., T., B. Novello. DR J. C. BRIDGE, Nov., 1883. B. LUARD SELBY. Part Song. Novello. J. BOOTH. Part Song. Novello. MICHAEL WATSON. Part Song. S., A., T., B. Ashdown. [OECHELHÄUSER gives a setting, as a duet, of this song, by ED. THIELE, Hofkapellmeister in Dessau.] Hymen. Then is there mirth in heaven. Act V, Scene iv, Lines 111-118. ROFFE (p. 17): Mr Linley, after he has given the high praises due to Dr Arne's compositions for the songs of Amiens, goes on to assign his reasons for not allowing this song of Hymen to appear at all in his work. These are Linley's words, with a few italics of my own :-- There is another song of ARNE'S introduced when this play 'is performed, which begins: "Then is there mirth in Heaven;" but the words are 'not Shakespeare's, neither does the tune bear any comparison with the pastoral air'iness and originality of the former pieces.' It is curious that Linley offers not the least authority for his assertion [as to the authenticity of the words]. As to his remark upon Arne's setting of this Hymen song, as compared with that of Amiens's song, no one would dispute its truth. Hymen's song has been set not only by ARNE, but also (much more happily, to my mind) by SIR HENRY BISHOP, whose composition I heard, when Sir Henry's operatised As You Like It [was first brought out], most attractively given by Master Longhurst, who personated Hymen. There are many triplets in the composition, which were executed with a most agreeable neatness. THE NEW SHAKSPERE SOCIETY (Ib. p. 8): In his setting of the operatised Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1821, SIR H. BISHOP has, at pp. 81-91, first a Soprano Solo of the first four lines of Sonnet 25, then a Chorus made up [as follows: Good Duke! receive thy daughter! Hymen from Heaven brought her. Such is great Juno's crown: To Hymen, honour and renown!'], and then a duet, one soprano taking the first four lines of Sonnet 25, the other, the first four of Sonnet 97. [I have a setting composed by C. DIBDIN, arranged for the Piano by J. Addison, published by Caulfield.-ED.] Wedding is great Iunos crown. Act V, Scene iv, Lines 144-149. ROFFE (p. 18): This has been set by THOMAS CHILCOT, whose work, Linley writes, he should have gladly introduced had he found it in any degree expressive 'of the sense of the words.' LINLEY considered it 'too flippant for the dignity of the 'sentiments.' He has, therefore, set the words himself, and no doubt with infinite superiority. Chilcot's setting, which I have seen, I take to be of about the year 1740. [I have it arranged for the Piano by J. Addison, Caulfield.-ED.] THE NEW SHAKSPERE SOCIETY (Ib. p. 9) :- PLAN OF THE WORK, &c. IN this Edition the attempt is made, to give, in the shape of TEXTUAL NOTES, on the same page with the Text, all the Various Readings of As You Like It, from the First Folio to the latest critical Edition of the play; then, as COMMENTARY, follow the Notes which the Editor has thought worthy of insertion, not only for the purpose of elucidating the text, but at times as illustrations of the history of Shakespearian criticism. In the APPENDIX will be found discussions of subjects, which on the score of length could not be conveniently included in the Commentary. In the TEXTUAL NOTES the symbol Ff indicates the agreement of the Second, Third, and Fourth Folios. The omission of the apostrophe in the F,, a peculiarity of that edition, is not generally noted. The sign + indicates the agreement of ROWE, POPE, THEOBALD, HANMER, WarBURTON, and JOHNSON. When WARBURTON precedes HANMER in the Textual Notes, it indicates that HANMER has followed a suggestion of WARBURTON'S. The words et cet. after any reading indicate that it is the reading of all other editions. The words et seq. indicate the agreement of all subsequent editions. The abbreviation (subs.) indicates that the reading is substantially given, and that immaterial variations in spelling, punctuation, or stage directions are disregarded. An Emendation or Conjecture which is given in the Commentary is not repeated in the Textual Notes unless it has been adopted by a subsequent editor; nor is conj. added to any name in the Textual Notes unless the name happens to be that of an editor, in which case its omission would be misleading. The colon is used as it is in German, as equivalent to ‘namely.' All citations of Acts, Scenes, and Lines in Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Lear, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice refer to this edition of those plays; in citations from other plays the GLOBE EDITION is followed. I have not called attention to every little misprint in the Folio. The Textual Notes will show, if need be, that they are misprints by the agreement of all the Editors in their correction. Nor is notice taken of the first Editor who adopted the modern spelling, or who substituted commas for parentheses, or changed? to !. COLL. (MS) refers to COLLIER'S annotated F. 4 QUINCY (MS) refers to an annotated F in the possession of MR J. P. QUINCY. In the Commentary, the CLARENDON PRESS EDITION is cited under the name of its Editor, Wright. ALLEN (MS), and sometimes simply ALLEN, refer to the marginal notes written by the late Professor GEORGE ALLEN, of The University of Pennsylvania, in his copy of the play, which was kindly given to me by his daughters, and is now one of my valued possessions. To economise space in the Commentary, I have, in general, cited merely the name of an author and the page. In the following LIST OF BOOKS used in the preparation of this play, enough of the full title is given to serve as a reference. PECK: New Memoirs of Milton DRAYTON: Works UPTON: Observations, &c. 1611 1635 1640 (circa) 1640 1670 LANGBAINE: An Account of the English Dramatic Poets, &c. 1691 1740 1740 1746 LE TOURNEUR: Shakespeare, traduit de l'Anglois, Paris RITSON: Remarks, &c. DAVIES: Dramatic Miscellanies 1765 1765 1765 1766 1767 1770 1775 1779 1781 1783 1784 MONCK MASON: Comments, &c. 1785 DOWNES: Roscius Anglicanus (ed. Waldron; ed. Knight, 1887) 1789 WHITER: Specimen of a Commentary, &c. An attempt to explain and illus trate various passages on a new principle of criticism, derived from Locke's Doctrine of the Association of Ideas |