Speak, Music! Explained

Speak, Music! is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1901 as his Op.41, No.2.

The words are from The Song in the book of verse The Professor, and other poems by A. C. Benson.^[1] It was dedicated to 'Mrs. Edward Speyer, Ridgehurst'.^[2]

At about the same time Elgar wrote a song In the Dawn, as his Op. 41, No. 1, with words from the same poem. The two songs were first performed in the Queen's Hall on 26 October 1901.

Lyrics

SPEAK, MUSIC

Speak, speak, music, and bring to me

Fancies too fleet for me,

Sweetness too sweet for me,

Wake, wake, voices, and sing to me,

Sing to me tenderly; bid me rest.

Rest, Rest! ah, I am fain of it!

Die, Hope! small was my gain of it!

Song, [song] take thy parable,

Whisper, whisper that all is well,

Say, say that there tarrieth

Something, something more true than death.

Waiting to smile for me; bright and blest.

Thrill, thrill, string: echo and play for me

All, all that the poet, the priest cannot say for me;

Soar, voice, soar, heavenwards, and pray for me,

Wondering, wandering; bid me rest.

Music

The uncommon time signature 15/8 is not found in any of Elgar's other songs.

Recordings

• Songs and Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "Speak, Music" performed by Mark Wilde (tenor), with David Owen Norris (piano).
• Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Reinild Mees (piano)
• The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Catherine Wyn-Rogers (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999

References

• Banfield, Stephen, Sensibility and English Song: Critical studies of the early 20th century (Cambridge University Press, 1985)
• Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar (Oxford University Press, 1968)

Notes and References

1. A. C. Benson, "The Professor, and other poems", London and New York, John Lane, 1900
2. Mrs. Edward Speyer was Antonia Kufferath, the Belgian-born soprano, daughter of Alice Elgar's old piano teacher Ferdinand Kufferath and wife of Elgar's friend the wealthy banker Edward Speyer. 'Ridgehurst' was their home at Shenley, Hertfordshire. Not to be confused with Sir Edgar Speyer and Lady Speyer (the latter a professional violinist Leonora von Stosch)