# Hail! Bright Cecilia

Hail! Bright Cecilia, appelée également Ode to St. Cecilia (Ode à sainte Cécile), est une œuvre pour voix et orchestre de Henry Purcell composée en 1692.
Cette pièce a été composée sur un texte de Nicholas Brady (en) pour la fête de sainte Cécile, patronne des musiciens.
Les festivités remontent à 1683 sur l'initiative de la Musical Society de Londres, réunion de musiciens et d'amateurs. Purcell avait déjà écrit quelques pièces pour les célébrations antérieures mais cette ode reste la plus connue. L'orchestre comprenait trompettes, timbales, flûtes à bec et basse, ainsi qu’un orgue, chaque instrument ayant une partie solo pour se valoriser. La première représentation fut un réel succès, l’œuvre ayant été bissée.

## L'œuvre
### Structure

L'œuvre est composée de treize parties et la durée d'exécution demande environ un peu moins d'une heure.
* Symphonie : Introduction—Canzona—Adagio—Allegro—Grave—Allegro
* récitatif (basse et chœurs) : Hail! Bright Cecilia
* Duo : Hark! hark! each tree
* Air (contreténor): 'Tis Nature’s voice
* Chœurs : Soul of the world
* Air (soprano et chœurs) : Thou tun’st this world
* Trio (alto, ténor et basse): With that sublime celestial lay
* Air (basse): Wondrous machine!
* Air (contreténor) : The airy violin
* Duet (contreténor et ténor) : In vain the am’rous flute
* Air (contreténor) : The fife and all the harmony of war
* Duo(deux basses) : Let these among themselves contest
* Chœurs : Hail! Bright Cecilia, hail to thee

### Paroles

| 2. Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail! fill ev'ry Heart! With Love of thee and thy Celestial Art; That thine and Musick's Sacred Love May make the British Forest prove As Famous as Dodona's Vocal Grove. 3. Hark! hark! each Tree its silence breaks, The Box and Fir to talk begin! This is the sprightly Violin That in the Flute distinctly speaks! 'Twas Sympathy their list'ning Brethren drew, When to the Thracian Lyre with leafy Wings they flew. 4. 'Tis Natures's Voice; thro' all the moving Wood Of Creatures understood: The Universal Tongue to none Of all her num'rous Race unknown! From her it learnt the mighty Art To court the Ear or strike the Heart: At once the Passions to express and move; We hear, and straight we grieve or hate, rejoice or love: In unseen Chains it does the Fancy bind; At once it charms the Sense and captivates the Mind 5. Soul of the World! Inspir'd by thee, The jarring Seeds of Matter did agree, Thou didst the scatter'd Atoms bind, Which, by thy Laws of true proportion join'd, Made up of various Parts one perfect Harmony. 6. Thou tun'st this World below, the Spheres above, Who in the Heavenly Round to their own Music move. 7. With that sublime Celestial Lay Can any Earthly Sounds compare? If any Earthly Music dare, The noble Organ may. From Heav'n its wondrous Notes were giv'n, (Cecilia oft convers'd with Heaven,) Some Angel of the Sacred Choire Did with his Breath the Pipes inspire; And of their Notes above the just Resemblance gave, Brisk without Lightness, without Dulness Grave. | 8. Wondrous Machine! To thee the Warbling Lute, Though us'd to Conquest, must be forc'd to yield: With thee unable to dispute. 9. The Airy Violin And lofty Viol quit the Field; In vain they tune their speaking Strings To court the cruel Fair, or praise Victorious Kings. Whilst all thy consecrated Lays Are to more noble Uses bent; And every grateful Note to Heav'n repays The Melody it lent. 10. In vain the Am'rous Flute and soft Guitarr, Jointly labour to inspire Wanton Heat and loose Desire; Whilst thy chaste Airs do gentle move Seraphic Flames and Heav'nly Love. 11. The Fife and all the Harmony of War, In vain attempt the Passions to alarm, Which thy commanding Sounds compose and charm. 12. Let these amongst themselves contest, Which can discharge its single Duty best. Thou summ'st their diff'ring Graces up in One, And art a Consort of them All within thy Self alone. 13. Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail to thee! Great Patroness of Us and Harmony! Who, whilst among the Choir above Thou dost thy former Skill improve, With Rapture of Delight dost see Thy Favourite Art Make up a Part Of infinite Felicity. Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail to thee! Great Patroness of Us and Harmony! |

## Autres œuvres musicales consacrées à Sainte Cécile

D'autres compositions en l'honneur de sainte Cécile ont été écrites par Alessandro Scarlatti, Georg Friedrich Haendel (Ode for St. Cecilia's Day) et, beaucoup plus tard, par Benjamin Britten.