Henry Purcell King Arthur or The British Worthy (1691) Sacrificial Scene from Act 1 Text by John Dryden
Deller Consort The Deller Choir Alfred Deller, director
The King’s Musick Roderick Skeaping, director
The musical sections of Purcell's semi-opera form interludes within the main action mostly at the ends of each of the acts of Dryden's text. In Act 1 there is a Sacrificial Scene, in which Saxon Priests and Chorus prepare to sacrifice horses and people to the gods Woden, Thor and Freya. From Synopsis in http://www.boosey.com/
FIRST ACT ~ Sacrificial Scene Bass Woden, first to thee A milk-white steed, in battle won, We have sacrific'd.
Chorus We have sacrific'd.
Tenor Let our next oblation be To Thor, thy thund'ring son, Of such another.
Chorus We have sacrific'd.
Bass A third (of Friesland breed was he) To Woden's wife, and to Thor's mother; And now, we have aton'd all three.
Chorus We have sacrific'd.
Tenor & Alto The white horse neigh'd aloud. To Woden thanks we render, To Woden we have vow'd.
Chorus To Woden, our defender, thanks we render?
Soprano The lot is cast, and Tanfan pleas'd; Of mortal cares you shall be eas'd.
Chorus Brave souls, to be renown'd in story, Honour prizing, Death despising, Fame acquiring By expiring, Die and reap the fruit of glory.
Alto I call you all To Woden's Hall, Tour temples round With ivy bound In goblets crown'd, And plenteous bowls of burnish'd gold, Where ye shall laugh And dance and quaff The juice that makes the Britons bold.
Chorus To Woden's Hall all Where in plenteous bowls of burnish'd gold We shall laugh And dance and quaff The juice that makes the Britons bold.