"Peaceful Western Wind" | Thomas Campion | Tenet Vocal Artists

"Peaceful Western Wind"
Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
October 22, 2011
St. Ignatius of Antioch, New York City

Tenet Vocal Artists
Molly Quinn, soprano

Hank Heijink, lute

Text:
The peacefull westerne winde
The winter stormes hath tam’d,
And nature in each kinde
The kinde heat hath inflam’d:
The forward buds so sweetly breathe
Out of their earthy bowers,
That heau’n which viewes their pompe beneath
Would faine be deckt with flowers.

See how the morning smiles
On her bright easterne hill,
And with soft steps beguiles
Them that lie slumbring still.
The musicke-louing birds are come
From cliffes and rocks vnknowne,
To see the trees and briers blome
That late were ouerflowne.

What Saturne did destroy,
Loues Queene reuiues againe;
And now her naked boy
Doth in the fields remaine,
Where he such pleasing change doth view
In eu’ry liuing thing,
As if the world were borne anew
To gratifie the Spring.

If all things life present,
Why die my comforts then?
Why suffers my content?
Am I the worst of men?
O, beautie, be not thou accus’d
Too iustly in this case:
Vnkindly if true loue be vs’d,
‘Twill yeeld thee little grace.

Audio recording: Mark Gallay, Two Birds Recording
Video recording: John Stone, Two Birds Recording

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