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Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 8:40 AM

Sally Thomas recently noted this piece from Purcell’s funeral music for Queen Mary II. It sets an appropriately penitential air for the coming weeks.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;
shut not thy merciful ears unto our pray’rs;
but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty.

O holy and most merciful Saviour,
thou most worthy Judge eternal,
suffer us not, at our last hour,
for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Amen.

1 Comment

    Steve P in Detroit
    February 19th, 2013 | 9:32 am

    When William Croft (1678-1727) composed a setting for the funeral liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer, he lifted this piece wholesale from Purcell, as fitted unsurpassably for his own composition. Give Croft’s suite a listen at http://youtu.be/sthH9pBy0ZQ

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