Behold, thou art fair
Karen P. Thomas
About this work:
"Behold, thou art fair" was commissioned by the Medieval Women's Choir, in celebration of their 20th anniversary season. The text is from Canticle 4 of the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) - in this poetry, a young man describes the beauty of his beloved in dramatic imagery.
Text ---
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast
doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that
appear from mount Gilead.
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came
up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren
among them.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy
temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon
there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed
among the lilies.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the
mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love.
Year composed: 2010
Duration: 00:05:00
Ensemble type: Chorus, with or without Solo Voices:Chorus, Unaccompanied
Instrumentation: 2 Soprano, ,1 Mezzo-Soprano soloist(s), 2 Alto
Instrumentation notes: SSAA, mezzo-soprano solo